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67It's a wealth of material at odds with a scant running time and shallow focus.
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75Because its subjects are so driven and so talented, First Position, which is about ballet, is more gripping than the norm.
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91I've become weary of documentaries about winning prizes, but this one is special because the kids are.
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80These performers are so young, so serious, so full of dreams and so hard on themselves that it is difficult not to be moved by their striving.
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80Documentaries don't have to be technically great to be irresistible, and Bess Kargman's First Position, which follows six young ballet dancers as they prepare for an elite competition, is a case in point.
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60Their devotion to their art is admirable, and the film gets under the skin, if never really in our blood.
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70Kargman is light on her feet, and she has chosen to follow a fascinating group of kids preparing for the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix.
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May 4, 201275The movie still seems fresh in the way it respects both the art in ballet and the discipline it demands - even in childhood.
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May 8, 201260It's a simple and lovely movie, and particularly for people who haven't seen "Spellbound," it's a great introduction to the intriguing mix of parents - neurotic, loving, pressuring, calming - who raise great kids who do great things.
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May 10, 201275First Position shows the dancers' emotions, but it is weaker in building the suspense of the competition.
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May 10, 201275Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of First Position is the relationship between aspirant and teacher.
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May 4, 201275The documentary twists out its six narrative threads with measured compassion and even-handedness.
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88Among recent documentaries, First Position soars to the head of the class.
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May 2, 201283Fortunately, first-time filmmaker Bess Kargman has selected a diverse array of competitors from different backgrounds who have significant talent in common.
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70First Position overcomes its predictable elements thanks to the inherent visual drama of watching children strain their bodies to the limit in obsessive pursuit of their goals.
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70An appealing, largely upbeat documentary about young ballet dancers duking it out.
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75First Position is a simple, but effective portrait of ambition and determination in an art form where the stakes are high and the rewards are few.
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80First-time director Kargman triumphs by picking characters who largely defy expectations.
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60The documentary feels preprogrammed when it could have been a real-life Black Swan.
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Apr 28, 201280The picture combines the built-in drama, tension and suspense of documentaries such as "Spellbound" with exciting, beautifully lensed variations performed by the virtuosos of the future.
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50The result is a film that eschews in-depth insight in favor of easily digestible who's-going-to-win suspense, a tack that's aided by Kargman's rather poignant (and visually graceful) evocation of pre-performance anxiety but ultimately leaves the material feeling deflated once the winners emerge.
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May 11, 201275Forget that "reality" show about young dancers on the Lifetime channel. First Position, a debut documentary from Bess Kargman, is the real thing.