Fancy Dance (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.

My Take – If there is one thing that Apple Original Films has done right over the past few years, at least in comparison to the competition, is that it has backed powerful and poignant dramas like The Banker (2020), Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022), Causeway (2022), Flora and Son (2023), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and of course, CODA (2021), the Best Picture winner at the 94th Academy Awards.

Their latest too falls under the same vein. A complex drama that manages to shed light on the criminal mistreatment of indigenous women in contemporary America.

Here, writer and director Erica Tremblay, who belongs to the Seneca-Cayuga Nation, and has a background in documentary-making, does not shy away from showing the darker side of things, including the frequent murder of Indigenous women, and gives an unflinching view of life on the reservation. Raising awareness while stopping short of sensationalizing their pain or sounding too preachy.

Backed by yet another powerful performance from Lily Gladstone, the solid Native-centric drama is filled with simple interactions that carry complex meanings and are powerful enough to serve as the film’s dramatic thrust.

Even when the stakes begin to rise on the outside, it’s the interpersonal moments that keep us engaged while touching on broader societal conflicts like drug abuse, sex work, and puberty. The story ultimately focuses on building a beautiful aunt-niece relationship that explores what it means to be a mother.

However, the film suffers in the third act when it swerves towards melodrama in the third act that feels emotionally out of touch with the rest of the film. Sure, it grants a much-needed confrontation between the leads, but also hampers the film’s intimate momentum.

Personally, I even found the ending too be a bit abrupt and unearned. Nevertheless, the film works as an old-fashioned predictable emotional story, both shaky and over sentimental in places, but does enough to be remembered as a sensitive and soulful tale.

The story follows Jax (Lily Gladstone), a Native American hustler, who has been taking care of her teenage niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) since the disappearance of her stripper sister Tawi. They live on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma, barely surviving through small robberies and yet feeling deeply rooted in their community.

The feds, who have jurisdiction, have shown little interest in locating Tawi, and local law enforcement, including Jax’s half-brother JJ (Ryan Begay) seems to have contributed little to the search. But when Tawi’s absence threatens to become permanent and Jax deemed an unfit guardian due to her criminal record. Roki is forced to move in with Jax and Tawi’s white father Frank (Shea Whigham) and his wife Nancy (Audrey Wasilewski) outside of the Reservation.

Since the two haven’t been able to have kids of their own, they cling to the opportunity of becoming Roki’s new parents. Frustrated by the police’s indifference towards Tawi’s situation, Jax decides to take a drastic decision which involves investigating on her own, and taking Roki along for the ride, regardless of the legal consequences for her. Jax also doesn’t want Roki to miss this year’s powwow, a traditional celebration of Native American culture the teen used to participate in with her now-missing mother.

Part mystery, part road trip, part cultural journey, here, director Tremblay and co-writer Miciana Alise communicate a powerful sense of history and connection between the characters and everything in between. Much of this multilayered tale is actually carried off quite skillfully, spotlighting the challenges that indigenous people, especially women.

One of the most infuriating moments is when an FBI investigator describes Tawi’s case as a distraction compared to Roki’s, implying that Roki’s case matters more because the person who reported her, her grandfather, was white. The prejudice extends beyond the investigation: during a stop at Target while on the run, Jax and Roki are racially profiled by an ICE officer, escaping by communicating in their Native language to align their stories.

However, as the story wears on, it becomes increasingly implausible, culminating in a climax that’s more than a little difficult to believe, its heartfelt sentiments notwithstanding. There are also some intriguing back story elements scattered throughout that, quite frankly, could have been better developed and resolved. That’s indeed a shame, considering how these shortcomings undermine the story’s many strong points.

Of course, it helps that Lily Gladstone brings in yet another outstanding performance. After becoming the first-ever indigenous performer to be honored at the Golden Globes, Gladstone delivers a stunning turn as she swiftly moves between toughness and vulnerability. Whether she puts on a proud smile while looking at her young co-star or breaks down in tears at the emotional climax of the story, the actor makes Jax feel painfully alive, scars and all.

Isabel DeRoy-Olson manages to hold her own as the film’s great find, a revelation of a young actor. She makes Roki a believable mix of childhood naivety and teenage anxiety. In supporting roles, Shea Whigham, Audrey Wasilewski, Ryan Begay, Crystyle Lightning, Dennis Newman and Tamara Podemski contribute effectively. On the whole, ‘Fancy Dance’ is a sentimental Native American drama anchored by yet another powerful turn from Lily Gladstone.