Now Showing: Pirouette

 

Pirouette

Genre: Drama

Director: Maïwenn

Writers: Jimmy Ellis & John Malone

Cast: Monica Barbaro, Johnny Depp, Emma Mackey, Karl Glusman, Nestor Carbonell, Molly Parker

Plot: In the heart of Paris, under the gleaming lights of the Palais Garnier, American dancer Lauren Reeves (Monica Barbaro) stands in the back row of the ballet company’s rehearsal studio, watching as the principal dancers perform the final act of Le Cœur en Feu. She’s just another face in the crowd, an understudy, hoping for a break. She knows this is her last chance. At twenty-eight, she is well past the age where most ballerinas are discovered. The younger dancers whisper about her behind her back, mocking her French, questioning why an American is even here, in their world. But Lauren doesn’t let it shake her. She has the talent, the discipline, and the fire — she just needs the opportunity.

On her way out of rehearsal that night, she bumps into the company’s director, Jean-Claude Beaufort (Johnny Depp), a man whose reputation for discovering and shaping stars is legendary. Jean-Claude gives her a cold, appraising look before walking away, but not without muttering something about needing fresh faces. Lauren watches him disappear down the hallway, determined to make him notice her.

The next morning, Lauren wakes early, rehearsing in front of a cracked mirror in her modest apartment. Her breath fogs the glass as she forces her aching limbs through precise movements, her muscles tight from years of wear and tear. She listens to missed voicemails on her phone while she stretches - she hears her mother's voice urging her to come back home and face reality, that there is no career or future for her in France. Later, when Lauren arrives at the studio, she learns that Jean-Claude has called a special audition for a new role he’s planning—something bigger, more daring. The role of L’Enfant Perdue, a character that symbolizes the struggle between innocence and the overwhelming pressures of the dance world. Lauren's heart races as Jean-Claude describes the role, as she knows it was made for her.

The company's prima ballerina, Isabelle Leclerc (Emma Mackey), walks into the studio with an air of superiority. Isabelle's been at the pinnacle of the ballet world for years, but she feels the pressure of hungrier dancers like Lauren clawing at her heels. Isabelle barely acknowledges Lauren. Then, turning to a fellow dancer, she murmurs something in rapid French something about the American thinking she can lead a ballet. The words are just loud enough for Lauren to hear. Lauren tries to ignore it and focus on her breathing. Jean-Claude watches the dancers closely, his sharp eyes flicking between Lauren’s raw, expressive movement and Isabelle’s perfect but mechanical performance. As Lauren finishes her audition, Jean-Claude nods thoughtfully, his interest piqued. Jean-Claude tells Lauren to come back tomorrow for a private session.

That night, Lauren meets Theo (Karl Glusman), a pianist with the ballet's orchestra. As they sip wine, Lauren rarely takes the subject of conversation away from her ballet dreams. Theo jokes that Lauren talks about ballet as if it is the only thing that matters. Lauren shrugs off the joke. Theo then leans in, and in a flirting manner, suggests that maybe she should leave some room for other passions in her life. That night, as they lie tangled in sheets, he asks her if she is planning to treat this like something temporary, like a brief pause in between rehearsals. Lauren admits that she doesn't know. Kissing Lauren's neck, Theo suggests that she think about it.

The next day, Lauren dances alone in the studio for Jean-Claude, pouring every ounce of emotion and desperation into her performance. Jean-Claude watches, unmoving. When she finishes, he is silent for a moment, then gives her a slow, deliberate clap. He tells her that she has everything he's been looking for in the role - depth, vulnerability - but asks her if she thinks she can handle the pressure that come with it. Lauren nods, eager. Jean-Claude announces to the company that Lauren will be playing the role of L’Enfant Perdue. Not everyone is thrilled with the decision though, with Isabelle opening questioning the choice, insisting she is a better performer than Lauren.

That night, Lauren finally does what she's been avoiding for weeks - she calls home. Her mother (Molly Parker) picks up immediately, her face appearing on the screen. The camera shifts as her father (Nestor Carbonell) joins the call. Her mother doesn't waste time with small talk. She tells Lauren they’ve been worried, asking if she’s eating enough, if she’s resting, if she’s taking care of herself. Lauren deflects, insisting she is fine, just busy. Her father then pleads with her to come home, suggesting she could still have a career in ballet back in the U.S. He lists companies where she could dance, places where she wouldn’t have to struggle so much, where she wouldn’t be alone. Lauren shakes her head - it’s not the same. Her mother presses harder. Lauren tells them they don’t understand - making it in Paris is the pinnacle. If she can't make it in Paris, then she doesn't want to dance anywhere else. Her father tells her they just want her to be happy. Lauren simply tells them she has rehearsal in the morning and ends the call.

Rehearsals begin and Jean-Claude immediately pushes Lauren to her limits, beyond exhaustion. He tells her that success isn't handed out - it is taken. As she performs the routine over and over, Jean-Claude constantly reminds Lauren that the audience must believe she is truly suffering, because only then will they feel something real. Jean-Claude being isolating Lauren from the other dancers, working her out separate from the rest of the company. When Lauren questions this, Jean-Claude insists that she must be alone to reach the level she aspires to. Lauren believes him, isolating herself even further and pushing her body through the pain as her ankles swell, her legs ache, and her feet bleed. Theo notices what is happening and tries to warn Lauren that she is destroying herself for a show, but Lauren refuses to listen to his concerns.

Isabelle's anger at missing out on the role to Lauren grows. She begins spreading rumors to the other dancers that she is sleeping with Jean-Claude in order to gain his favor. One night Isabelle confronts Lauren as she is leaving her private rehearsal. Isabelle tells Lauren that she will fail and is taking roles away from more deserving dancers. Lauren is clearly bothered by Isabelle's comments, but stands firm and says that she is not there to take anything away from the other dancers, she is simply trying to make her own path.

On the eve of opening night, Lauren finds her ballet slippers slashed in her dressing room. Lauren frantically begins breaking in her backup pair when her phone buzzes with a message from Jean-Claude. He wants her to meet him at a small café on Rue de l’Opéra. She hesitates, worried that based on Jean-Claude's reputation, he may be expecting her to give her body to him away from the stage. She walks to the cafe in the cold Paris night. When she arrives, Jean-Claude is already there, sitting at a corner table, his cigarette smoldering in the ashtray beside him. He doesn’t stand, doesn’t gesture for her to sit — he simply tilts his head slightly, indicating the seat across from him. Nervous, Lauren sits and waits for him to speak. Jean-Claude simply nods toward a large window of the cafe. Confused, Lauren follows his gaze. And then she sees it. Across the street, stretching high above the boulevard, is a massive billboard for L'Enfant Perdue. Dominating the image is Lauren - her form, mid-pirouette, 20 feet tall. Lauren is speechless. Jean-Claude finally speaks, telling her that tomorrow everyone in Paris is going to know her name - but that greatness comes at a price and Lauren is only at the beginning.

The night of the premiere, the Palais Garnier is packed with Paris’ elite. Theo and the rest of the orchestra warms up below. Backstage, Lauren stands alone in the wings, steadying her breath. When the house lights dim, the overture begins. Lauren steps out onto the stage, the lights, blinding. She enters with a bourrée, her feet gliding in tiny, rapid steps, as if she is floating. Her arms extend in a graceful port de bras. She loses herself in the grueling choreography, her body bending and folding in the intricate ways Jean-Claude demanded of her. The audience is in awe as Lauren moves about the stage. Lauren falls into a controlled collapse, her knees striking the floor - while it is part of the choreography, Lauren feels the pain. She rises shakily. By the end, Lauren is drenched in sweat and the pain no longer matters. She holds her final pose as the music slowly fades. The audience rises to their feet in an explosion of applause. Jean-Claude watches from the wings, a proud but conflicted expression on his face. Lauren remains frozen in place soaking it in. From the wings, Isabelle watches with resentment and jealousy.

As Lauren steps off the stage, still dizzy from the ovation, she sees her parents. They are standing near the back of the corridor, waiting for her. Lauren's mother is the first to speak, telling her how incredible she was and that they wouldn't miss her first headlining role for anything in the world. Her father nods, adding that she proved them wrong. Lauren stiffens and tells them that they had no right to be here. They weren't invited for a reason. She reminds her parents that they never supported her, that they told her to come home, that they never believed she could do this. She made it without them. Theo watches the exchange from a distance, seeing that Lauren is lost to the stage. Lauren's mother cries but doesn't argue. As Lauren's parents turn to leave, Lauren watches them go before disappearing back into the theater.

After opening night, Lauren is the toast of Paris. She's offered new roles and courted by the world's top ballet companies. She stares at her own reflection in the dance studio.