A good movie, but not great.

It's a little longer than it needs to be, but I hesitate to call it merely "good."

The story is interesting enough, delving as it does into the psychology of the artists' need to create and to perform their art. And the performances are excellent all-around, including from the lead who not only can act but also requires no double to perform the ballet sequences for her.

However, I think that where the film clearly shines the most is in the cinematography and production design. Some of the images in this film are among the most striking that I've seen in any movie, ever. Sometimes in the film world we encounter the phrase "every frame a painting," and much of this film indeed feels like a painting that has come to life.

Well I think it's Great-with-a-capital-G, but then I'm long-term ballet fan!

It's far and away the best ballet film ever made, one that combines dance at the highest level, with a look at both the reality and fantasy of ballet. The reality is sexual harassment and employers ruling companies with a whim of iron and plagiarism and pouring sweat and cigarette smoke, the fantasy is the dance creating a beautiful unreal world before our eyes. This movie is everything to a balletomane!

I had so much expectations because of its reputation but it didn't blow me away. But it's worth revisiting it, though. Maybe it grows on you with repeated viewings.