Pun Salad

Another based-on-a-true-story movie, specifically the story of Li Cunxin, a Chinese ballet dancer. As the movie opens, he's arriving in 1970s Houston as part of a cultural exchange with America; it's a classic fish-out-of-water story. (At the time, US-China relations were only barely thawed, after decades of implacable hostility.) He's mentored by Ben Stevenson (played by Captain Pike himself, Bruce Greenwood), and his huge talent is eventually recognized.

His previous story is told in flashbacks: Li Cunxin was plucked as a child out of his tiny village to participate in Madame Mao's dance academy. It's a grueling life, made more complex by—you may have heard—nasty totalitarianism. When Li is allowed to leave the country for America, every effort is made to ensure that he's politically reliable.

But it doesn't work out, because Li (a) finds love; and (b) realizes the capitalist foreign devils (that would be us) aren't really so bad after all. When it comes time to return to Red China, he demurs, and sets off a small, tense, diplomatic struggle over his future.

So: not bad. One of the rare movies to forthrightly illustrate the utter vileness of Communism. And, if you like ballet, there are a number of big production numbers. Which, as far as I know, were excellent.