The Turning Point

A film about classical ballet which is also about friendship, usually the cinematic prerogative of men. From a deceptively simple script - renewed acquaintance between an ageing ballerina (Bancroft) and a former colleague (MacLaine) who is now a housewife with a daughter just starting out as a dancer - emerge jealousies and resentments about lost chances, maternity-vs-career, comfort-vs-austere dedication; conflicts all purged in Bancroft and MacLaine's magnificent fishwife scene. There's some beautiful dancing and a wealth of detail about the world of classical ballet. Interesting and entertaining.