bvsfan I don't know how it is that I've never seen this movie especially since my daughter was a tap dancer for 12 years and we were both such huge fans of Gregory Hines. The dancing is superb by both Mikhail and Gregory. The acting a little stiff especially by MB. Predictable but for me, the dancing and the music make the movie. The plot is ridiculous. It's too bad that Gregory Hines wasn't bigger during the 80's and 90's, it's a shame that dancing didn't make a comeback in films the way it should have. Loved the background music, loved the sole dance scene by Hines, loved the duet by both of them, HATED the opening sequence, everything I always hated about "modern" dance. Still worth seeing, if only for the dancing and the somewhat factual USSR defection problems. Seems so long ago now that artists and others actually had to "escape" a country. But the question still begs to be asked: If Raymond needed to leave the U.S. why in the H*** would he end up in freaking Siberia vs. all the other European countries he could have moved to??

spam_chaconne Baryshinikov is the one of the best male dancers of all time. This movie allows you to see him up close and view his "process" for dancing. You can't help but watch in awe at his amazing athletic and physical feats... from the very first scene where you see him slowly lower his entire body from a headstand to lying down to seeing him dance "en pointe" in what appear to be a pair of "Keds". It isn't just seeing the dances that is amazing. It is the opportunity to see the dances from the perspective of an "insider who is sitting right there next to him -- as opposed to watching him from the audience.This is dancing "eye candy" at its finest -- my favorite escape movie of all time.

inigo-montoya-3 This is a beautiful movie on dance, love of his country, love of itself, love of the others and friendship. Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov give their best performance. This is the union of two different styles for the creation of one unique. The two bests scenes are the one when Hines and Baryshnikov dance together in a modern style for duping the KGB. And the other one is the Tapedance impro of Gregory Hines. You must discover this film even if you don't like the dance, for two reasons : first, as I said it before, this is not only about the dance. The second reason is it's the unique occasion to discover Gregory Hines in is best performance

allensmyth I don't have much to add to the wonderful commentaries already made, except that the dancing in this movie is spectacular. Hines is a fantastic actor and dancer. Baryshnikov is absolutely sublime in both his dance scenes and the raw emotion he shows in his desperation to return to American soil. He actually defected in real life, which was obviously a valuable experience to draw from in this movie. I love one of his lines: "I am still Russian, I am just not Soviet." Even though the cold was is (supposedly) over, this movie makes an excellent historic piece, as well as a wonderful dance movie. I can watch it over and over again, and still find it enjoyable.