Rated PG, 103 minutes
"Pina" is the thrilling new 3D dance film and documentary from noted director Wim Wenders ("Paris, Texas") about the legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch. Part concert film, part documentary and full tribute to Bausch, "Pina" is hypnotic, bursting with color and originality and entirely engaging the senses. Wenders was set to begin filming the documentary in 2009 but Bausch died suddenly and unexpectedly of cancer; the project was nearly canceled until members of her dance troupe convinced Wenders to carry on with the film in dedication to her memory, and we're glad he did. Her dance troupe tells us about Pina and then dances many of her original pieces on stage and in various outdoor settings. Wildly unconventional, daring and often bizarre, the dance sequences reveal not only the themes Pina was striving for but also her personal life. "Pina" features two of her best pieces, the enthralling "Rite of Spring," as the dancers move across a stage covered in peat, and the unique "Cafe Mueller," widely regarded by critics as her best piece. Wonderfully, beautifully performed and executed by her dance troupe, the 3D is a fantastic touch that brings the dancers and their moves to life. A lovely homage, "Pina" may have limited appeal outside the art house circuit or dancers, but it's worth seeing even if you don't anything about Pina Bausch, and most outside Europe likely do not. Nominated for the 2011 Best Documentary Oscar, "Pina" gets my vote hands (and feet) down.
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