Fancy Dance: A Heartfelt Look At Family

This week is the Hamptons International Film Festival with many fantastic movies coming out to be screened before their wider release or in an attempt to try and find a distributor for a wider release. As part of the World Cinema Competition, Erica Tremblay’s feature directorial debut Fancy Dance was screened and is quickly proving her to be an up-and-coming film director who should be watched and, should one get the opportunity to see Fancy Dance, they absolutely should.

Fancy Dance follows Jax (Lily Gladstone) who has to care for her sister’s daughter Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) after her sister goes missing. Roki is convinced that her mother will appear at an upcoming powwow for a mother/daughter dance. When Jax’s father (Shea Whigham) tries to take custody, Jax has to risk her future with Roki as her guardian to bring her to the powwow.

The performances are great across the board, with particularly strong performances coming from Lily Gladstone (who viewers can see later this month in Killers of the Flower Moon) and Isabel Deroy-Olson, both of whom show acting abilities to the point where they could have long careers going forward. The chemistry between the two is fantastic and really carries the movie and helps sell some of the most emotional moments. Shea Whigham is also pretty good as Jax’s father, though his position in a more antagonistic role while not having a ton of screen time (because he is rightfully not the focal point of the film). He adds just the right undertones to the film to bring a sense of unease whenever he is on screen.

It is also worth noting that the work from director Erica Tremblay is among some of the best of the year and delivers a beautifully shot movie with fantastic cinematography that really does a lot to sell the world they are living in. The juxtaposition between the wealthier areas and the lives that Jax and Roki are living works very well and the inequality of life and the cycle of poverty is also really well articulated, mostly through passive environmental storytelling.

Fancy Dance does not have a wide release date yet, however, it is still on the festival circuit. It may get a theatrical release, though when that will be is unclear at this point. If it hits theaters, it is worth the theatrical viewing experience, while if it is only available on streaming it is worth watching there as well.

Final Rating: 10/10