Ballet 422
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: February 6, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The A.V. ClubKeith UhlichFeb 4, 2015
“Art isn’t easy,” wrote Stephen Sondheim, and in Jody Lee Lipes’ bleak beauty of a documentary, the act of creation is a resolutely joyless one — a tedious grind with little lasting reward. Read full review
90
Village VoiceZachary WigonFeb 3, 2015
Ballet 422 is more visually sumptuous than most narratives you're likely to see this year, featuring careful compositions that make watching the film an aesthetic experience as much as an intellectual one. Read full review
88
Boston GlobePeter KeoughFeb 26, 2015
In a way, Lipes’s documentary resembles Jonathan Demme and David Byrne’s “Stop Making Sense” (1984) — in which Byrne goes on stage solo with a beat box and the rest of the Talking Heads gather one by one — as much as it does Wiseman’s films. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranFeb 12, 2015
Intimate and unusual behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a ballet, it may sound rarefied but has enough moments of truth and beauty to engage general audiences. Read full review
80
VarietyRonnie ScheibFeb 5, 2015
The documentary moves with the same fluidity that characterizes Peck’s choreography. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottFeb 5, 2015
Ballet 422 elegantly conveys the complex collaborations behind even a relatively modest production, and the toil and discipline that somehow deliver, for the patrons on opening night, a seamless spectacle of grace. Read full review
80
The DissolveNoel MurrayFeb 3, 2015
A documentary that’s both impressionistic and informative—admiring the magic of dance even in its formative stages, while also turning the making of art into a kind of procedural. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerEllen DunkelMar 6, 2015
Ballet 422, a documentary verité, is not for everyone. The expected conventions of plot, dialogue, and action are all but missing, and some viewers may find it slow. But for dance lovers, it is a rare visit to the workings of one of the finest ballet companies in the world. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Martha SchabasFeb 26, 2015
Ballet 422 is narrative without the heavy structural imposition of much plot, and the small, captivating tensions that are framed by the film seem to parallel current innovations in contemporary ballet. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyFeb 6, 2015
The irony of Peck’s position is, while he’s on the rise as a choreographer, as a dancer he’s in a rather more plebian position, which provides the movie with a punchline that Lipes neither overstates nor shrugs off. Read full review
75
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeFeb 5, 2015
A delightfully immersive look at how a ballet is created, Jody Lee Lipes’ documentary is a stark contrast to the psycho theatrics of something like “Black Swan.” Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChuck BowenJan 30, 2015
Jody Lee Lipes shapes the footage into an intimate symphony of poetically shaped bodies that contrast poignantly with uncertain faces. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesMar 18, 2015
With the documentary Ballet 422, Lipes’ first return to dance after notable narrative cinematography work (on TV’s Girls and the upcoming Trainwreck, among other projects), he’s somewhat boxed himself into a corner with the cinema verité directive to capture the moment and keep out of the way. Read full review
63
Washington PostStephanie MerryMar 5, 2015
For fans of dance, Ballet 422 will produce plenty of pleasures. But as with great ballet, great movies always benefit from a little drama. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeFeb 5, 2015
The doc's structure is a countdown to opening night, but planning goes smoothly enough that little drama accompanies that ticking clock. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 3, 2015
There’s no drama, no conflict, and apparently no one told director Jody Lee Lipes that even documentaries require some of that to be rendered watchable. Read full review
More From This Movie

74 Critic Reviews

6.0 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL