The Performance (2023) Palm Springs Film Festival 2024

 

This is the story of a group of dancers who leave the American club circuit for Europe lead by Harold who was born to dance. Harold’s father is not happy since the family has struggled to come to America to get away from the rampant antisemitism and now, in 1936, the Nazi’s are on the move. Once there they are offered a very large sum of money to go to Berlin for a single performance. All their expenses will be paid. However things become very complicated when it’s realized that it’s a Nazi function.

At the top one thing need to be clarified and that while THE PERFORMANCE is being billed as Arthur Miller’s last work, it is actually simply based on one of his short stories. I am not saying this as a knock against the film simply that I went in thinking this was based on a screenplay or play. I also say that because the film feels like a short story.

This is a beautiful well-acted short story of a film. Having the rhythms of a short piece of fiction the film stays very much in the confines of the tale it’s telling. There is nothing outside of Harold‘s (Jeremy Piven) view so we don’t get a sense of the world outside of his view. There is nothing wrong with that, rather it simply means that all of the shots of cities and such are via archival footage. It’s also a tightly plotted film with nary a wasted moment making it one of the few films of the last decade that feels entirely complete, with no sense of filler or a sense that there could be more (That’s a rave.)

The cast is across the board wonderful. This maybe Jeremy Piven’s best role in years. Like costar Robert Carlyle  he completely disappears into his role and I had to check the promotional material and IMDB several times to be certain that he, and the rest of the cast really were the actors listed.

It should be noted the film is important today because of the rise of out spoken antisemitism, and it should be applauded for showing the destruction it causes.

Additionally the film is important because it is probably going to be the first great film you’ll see in 2024. It’s a moving testament to the human spirit that will leave you deeply moved. See this when it plays near you.