Pina
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 6 out of 26

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  1. robbsreview
    Feb 18, 2012
    2
    Very disappointing. Unless the sight of dirty, sweaty dancers is of interest, you will be turned off, as was I.
    The movie offers little insight on Pina's life. Once again, "The emperor has NO clothes."
  2. Votskomit
    Jun 20, 2012
    2
    The dancing was fine, but the symbolism is always the same: Self doubt, sex, self doubt, relationships, self doubt, sex. And the costumes and sets are always about the same. Which gives me the impression that Pina is a one-trick-pony.

    The dancers are asked to talk about Pina, but they only talk about themselves. After watching the documentary, I have learned nothing about Pina. And all     the time, everyone had this inflated sense of how magically brilliantly super duper great Pina is. This is some of the most pretentious people I've ever seen.

    But then, halfway through the movie, I realized that this film isn't a showcase or exploration of Pina at all. This film is a documentary about a dance-cult. This is a documentary about the self-doubting, upper-middle class children who were sucked into this bohemian cult of inflated self-importance and made to act out their own insecurities (in dance) for the one authoritarian figure they ever respected. Pina, whether she was aware of it or not, had become a sort of dance-prophet.    … Expand
  3. ZackLemcheck
    Apr 1, 2012
    10
    The 3D presentation of this looks to me like the first movie actually made in the 21st century. As for some of the other comments here, I can only paraphrase Lincoln - "The good Lord must have loved the common-minded people. He made so many of them."
  4. JohnRovi
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    This film is an event, a piece of performance art, transcending film itself, in part through its creative and lovely use of 3D (which I generally think is a waste of time) and in part through its loving treatment of the film's subject, which is not Pina Bausch, but, in my view, the dancers who worked with her for decades and became co-choreographers with her. They explode across the screen in great excursions of ecstasy which have sent me home in wonder, yet again, at the beauty of being human.

    But, please be forwarned, the film starts in more difficult territory with an early work of hers resetting Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and it takes quite a while for the jovial heart of the film to be revealed. It is worth the wait, every bit, and while I was first completely lost and untouched by the work at the beginning, over the span of the film I came to feel a real understanding of what Bausch was reaching for, and how beautifully her work was realized in these wonderful, vulnerable, liberated human beings and their amazing dancing machines. Run, don't walk, to see Pina. That is all I have to say! ;-)    … Expand
  5. marioping
    Dec 30, 2011
    7
    Interesting. I know nothing about Pina Bausch and I know nothing about dance especially the kind of dance Pina choreographs. After watching "Pina", I still don't know anything about her except that she was very loved and missed by her dancers. The film is more a tribute to her than anything else. Each of Pina's performers said something memorable about Pina and then we get to see some dance from each performer. Although the film is very foreign to me, I do find myself very drawn to each scene. The dances were beautiful even though I didn't understand the meaning of any of them. The 3D was well used in this film. I think the 3D here was better used than any of the hollywood blockbusters was used. The 3D in "Pina" doesn't have anything coming at you but it does show the depth of the stage during each dance. "Pina" is an interesting film. It's a film to check out for movie experiences.… Expand
  6. allmovies
    Jan 10, 2012
    8
    "Wim Wenders uses 3D technology to arresting effect in this performance documentary about Pina Baussch's Tanztheater Wuppertal dance company. Performing in the streets and parks of Wuppertal, Germany, the troupe's pieces include "The Rite of Spring.""
  7. sabbaticalbill
    Jan 16, 2012
    9
    Engaging and fascinating. The film captures the wonders of Pina B's dance sense and her enigmatic character. The film flows well, uses imaginative settings for the scenes, gives you glimpses into the varied backgrounds of the dancers and leaves you enchanted. Wonderfully done.
  8. movieViewer325
    Mar 25, 2012
    8
    Pina encouraged her dancers to dance what they longed for. So this movie could have been called The Therapy of Dance. What was it like to be a child in Germany in the 20th century? The dancers, with out saying anything about their childhood, will show you. This is not American "So You Think You Can Dance" expressionism. I'm American and was abused by Germans as a child, so I could watch the beauty of the dancer's movements and the beastliness of the acted abuse. Not everyone will want to see this.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Mar 2, 2012
    60
    While Pina will undoubtedly be well-received by modern-dance devotees, it does little to take advantage of the enormous opportunity to open the door for newcomers.
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  2. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Calvin Wilson
    Feb 10, 2012
    100
    The result, Pina, is the most spirited and spectacular film about dance since Robert Altman's "The Company."
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  3. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Richard Nilsen
    Feb 9, 2012
    80
    For anyone with an interest in dance, Pina is a must-see. For anyone not interested in contemporary dance, Pina is a should-see. It could change your mind.
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