Rise

Lively dance sequences galvanize this sweet-natured drama about redemption and rebirth from French director Cedric Klapisch (Back to Burgundy). It follows Elise (Marion Barbeau), a Paris ballerina whose on-stage injury threatens to prematurely end her career at the same time she breaks up with her philandering boyfriend. Facing an uncertain future, she finds a potential new path after relocating to a small town with a modern dance company that rekindles her passion — if only her body is still capable. While the melodramatic screenplay sometimes feels flat-footed, the well-acted film intimately examines the physical and emotional fragility of the ballet world with perception and empathy. (Not rated, 117 minutes).

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