"Assasination Tango" w/ Robert Duvall [Archive]

DanceMentor

03-04-2003, 11:56 PM

Robert Duvall directs and stars in Assassination Tango, and since his gray moustache and ponytail prevent him from playing a convincing hooker with a heart of gold, the seasoned veteran has chosen the next best role: a hitman with a tender soul and a connoisseur's taste for tango. By day his John Anderson is the owner of a chain of beauty salons, the loving boyfriend to Maggie (Kathy Baker), and devoted father figure to her ten-year-old daughter Jenny (Katherine Micheaux Miller). By night he's a killer-for hire who takes a cool, detached approach to his work. And by God if his character isn't a complete figment of the imagination.
Read full review (http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/2a460f93626cd4678625624c007f2b46/dc64889f142e387a08256cdc0066a425?OpenDocument) at Filmcritic.com.

Also, it looks like there are some spectacular dance scenes in the movie. You can see a clip with dancing on the Assasination Tango website (http://www.mgm.com/ua/assassinationtango/).

Anonymous

03-09-2003, 10:37 AM

I understand that the movie premiers in Philadelphia this month and it is followed by a free Milonga. Does anyone know the date?

DanceMentor

03-12-2003, 02:24 PM

According to http://www.users.voicenet.com/~michaelv/:
Actor/tango-lover Robert Duvall will be in Philadelphia for a private screening of his new movie "Assassination Tango". Reportedly, Mr. Duvall and his tango co-star will afterwards go to the Society Hill Dance Academy (2nd and Pines Sts., Phila.) to join a milonga there which was specially organized for the occasion, 9:15pm to midnight. The Academy has been informed that several television news stations will be covering the event, so, stunning dress is "encouraged and optional". Email Shana Vitoff or call 215-574-3574 for further details.

golddancer

12-28-2003, 04:42 PM

I just watched this last night on DVD, it was good. I expected to see him dance more. I think I would have like to see real lessons start at the dance club Frankies instead of just his imagination.

pygmalion

12-28-2003, 04:43 PM

Hey. I didn't know the DVD was out. Thanks for the tip. I'll have to get that one. Any movie with dance scenes in it, is a movie I want to see. 8) :D

will35

12-28-2003, 05:16 PM

If you don't count Geraldine Rojas dancing through the credits, there are maybe ten or fifteen seconds of dancing in it. As a serious movie, it is even worse than it is as a dance movie. The plot sounds more like a Mel Brooks comedy than a serious movie. I wish now that Mel Brooks had thought of it before Duvall. It would have at least been funny. Think of it, a hired killer goes to Argentina on a job and learns to Tango instead. With all due respect to some of the most talented dancers there are, Copello, Monti, Paiva, Nieves, it is just boring. More dance, less Duvall please. Very indulgent, typical hollywood, let's stick in a love interest and hired killer and horse race and political stuff so we can sell this thing to some people. And guess what, it was a flop, anyway. Why not just a movie about a guy who goes to milongas? Or a woman? Or a couple?

DanceMentor

12-28-2003, 05:49 PM

I never bothered to go and see this movie. I guess I didn't miss much. I would have thought that there would be more than 15 or 20 seconds of dancing in the movie, especially since Robert Duvall is a tango buff. Why even put the word "tango" in a movie if there isn't going to be dancing? Maybe they should have called it "Last Tango in Buenos Aires". :lol:

pygmalion

12-28-2003, 05:59 PM

will35

12-28-2003, 06:58 PM

Don't worry guys, someday there will be a good Tango movie to satisfy everybody. It will have lots of dancing, lots of the history of people who dance a lot, and it will please the people who want a good story, too. It's just that Assassination Tango ain't quite it. Until then, we can maybe watch Adam Boucher's thing with Copello over and over. It's not too bad. On the other hand, I have seen Geraldine Rojas and Javier dance in a milonga in Buenos Aires, and it was worth ten times Assassination Tango. It was no show. They were just dancing with everybody else for fun. I have yet to see Maria Nieves or Orlando Paiva in a milonga, but I'll keep watching out for one or the other. Maybe I'll make a movie about Tango someday. There was one good scene in Assassination when they taught Robert Duvall how to lead an ocho as he was leaving the bathroom. I saw the DVD recently to see the scenes they cut out. It could have been a good movie if they had made more scenes like the one with Geraldine combing her hair in the mirror and talking to Luciana Pedrazza. It was one of the few things from the movie that actually looked natural.

golddancer

12-29-2003, 12:34 AM

Oh bummer! I was hoping to see some actual dancing. I'd heard he's not a great dancer, but still, a few minutes of dancing would have been worththe DVD rental. Boo! :cry:

Maybe I'll just buy another Daniel Trenner video. Then at least I'll get to see dancing.

I was hoping to see more dancing too. Especially since he loves the tango so much and was in a documentary about arg. tango

will35

12-29-2003, 03:07 PM

That documentary was not bad, but it was mostly when he was sitting in a hotel room talking about the Tango. It seems when stars have complete control over their own work (Duvall, Sally Potter, Carlos Saura) it justs becomes about them and not about Tango. I'd love to write a movie about some old milonguero who has been dancing the Tango for about fifty years whose wife died and he goes to the milongas again now like he did when he was a kid. I even have a guy in mind for the role, but I would have no control over what they do to the script after it leaves my hands. It would probably end up with John Travolta and Britney Spears as the stars. Do you see what I mean? Hollywood stinks, no matter what country you move it to. It is about consumption.

pygmalion

12-29-2003, 03:29 PM

Good point, will. Big studios usually buy commercially attractive movies, not the kind of quality stuff you're talking about.

lokat

01-08-2004, 02:02 PM

Gosh, maybe I saw a different "Assassination Tango", which I just rented. I found it very affecting, almost mesmerizing. Lots of beautiful dancing, don't know how much more could've been in it. Not meant to be an adventure or a comedy. Hypnotic is how I would describe the beauty of the dancing, and several dancers were featured, not just Duval.

pygmalion

01-08-2004, 02:08 PM

Hi lokat! welcome to the forums. :D

I haven't seen it yet. :oops:

Sagitta

01-08-2004, 02:17 PM

Glad to have you join us lokat! I never went to see this as it got "dissed" over here!! Hmm...I guess one's perspective depends on how much one knows about/does Argentine Tango. How much dancing would you say is there? (For instance, 10 minutes out of a 100 minutes?)

DanceMentor

01-08-2004, 07:43 PM

Ok, I started this thread, so I am responsible for watching this movie!
I just rented it from NetFlix. I also just rented the 1993 International Ballroom Championships with the Hiltons and Donnie and Gaynor. I actually have this one scheduled to ship first. I'll give you my thoughts about Assassination Tango within a week.

pygmalion

01-11-2004, 10:39 AM

Huh? Netflix has ballroom competition videos available for rental?

pygmalion

01-11-2004, 10:49 AM

I checked. Only a couple videos -- none of the new ones. I also checked dancescape, though. They have pay per view dance videos, available to the U.S. if you have high speed internet access.

DanceMentor

01-11-2004, 12:44 PM

Yes, just a couple is right. I just watched the Ballroom Championships from 1993. It was pretty cool, but the music was on of those ballroom orchestras. I enjoyed watching people like Killick and van Amstel from 10 years ago. They also had full shows by Donnie and Gaynor and Marcus and Karen Hilton.

I should have Assassination Tango near the end of this week.

lokat

01-14-2004, 12:57 PM

Sagitta: I'd say at least a third is dancing...it intersperces with his assasination job, and goes in and out of his imagination, and he watches some, and he learns, and others show him how, and others perform.

jon

01-14-2004, 03:55 PM

Think of it, a hired killer goes to Argentina on a job and learns to Tango instead.

I don't know how much market there is for travelling international assassins, but leaving out the "hired killer" part, it's plausible enough on its face. Not unlike like Daniel Trenner's story of how he got started with Tango, in fact.

sams

02-21-2004, 02:23 PM

sams

02-21-2004, 02:36 PM

In the movie assasination tango, does anyone know the song that Stella sang? It was a cha cha.

Sagitta

02-21-2004, 03:32 PM

Haven't seen that movie yet, but welcome to the forums Sam!! We are happy to have you join us. :D

pygmalion

02-22-2004, 08:35 AM

this picture could have been great with less Duvall in it. It really annoyed me to see him try to dance with Luciana. then he made us witness a love scene with him in it. This guy must think he is Johnny depp instead of the 100 year old troll that he is.

LOL! :lol: :lol: What does 100 year old have to do with it? He's always been a troll. Ever see To Kill a Mockingbird? 1962 (I think) and he was no looker, even then. :lol: :lol:

welcome, sams. :D

bordertangoman

02-22-2004, 08:52 AM

DanceMentor

02-22-2004, 07:48 PM

I resent that last remark...my last name just so happens to be Duval! :evil: :lol: (just kidding)

I'm sorry to say I did rent the movie, but I fell asleep about halfway through. I wouldn't recommend the movie.

MadamSamba

03-28-2004, 05:20 PM

Oh, my Lord, what a horrifically bad movie. I'm with you DM, but unfortunately I didn't have the pleasure of falling asleep during it and, I suspect, if I had, I would have had nightmares.

Here's my little summary, bad acting and bad storyline. The only redeeming feature of this appalling movie was the bits of tango interspersed throughout.

Argh! I want those precious two hours of my life back, thank you very much.

It wasn't even released in cinemas here. It went straight to video and it's patently obvious why. It was very nice of Duvall to make a movie about tango, but it would have been a bonus if it was watchable. eek.

I was so distressed after watching it, I had to go and soothe my nerves at a milonga. :))) Am all better now.

Adwiz

03-28-2004, 06:11 PM

I just watched the Ballroom Championships from 1993. It was pretty cool, but the music was on of those ballroom orchestras. I enjoyed watching people like Killick and van Amstel from 10 years ago.

Many of the European comps still use orchestras today. Even Blackpool uses a live orchestra. Not my idea of great dance music.

It certainly is fun watching a championship from 10 years ago. Aside from the obvious changes in costume styling I was fascinated by the subtle changes that have taken place in technique. Not so much in how a step is danced because the steps haven't changed, but in the subtleties of connection and styling and shaping.

What I found particularly interesting as a Canadian was in the way the 1993 championship dissed the Canadian couple in the Standard competition. All the other couples were named except the Canadians who were just announced as a number. I'm sure it would have been no different had they been Americans. Those couples on this side of the pond still have a tough time being recognized in those international European comps.

DancePoet

03-31-2004, 07:17 PM

Ok, I admit it. I enjoyed Assassination Tango.

The plot was sometimes dull and slow paced. The playfulness between Duval and his tango teacher in the cafe over coffee keeps you guessing about them like the old movies, and was much better then Duval's sex scene which was a waste of film. However, the Tango was wonderful! I liked the music and the dancing. I have replayed the dance shown during the credits over and over again. Rojas and Veron are marvelous! I have even gone through the film several times in fast forward to view just the dance portions. And by the way, there could be more, but thankfully there is more then 10 seconds of dance.

Genesius Redux

03-31-2004, 11:19 PM

You guys can be merciless!

Can the film really be that bad? I mean, it's Robert Duvall, right? He's not a bad actor. 100 year old troll? Is Dance Poet really the only one who liked it?

Well, I'm going to see it anyway. See for m'self.