Release Date – 28th June 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 30 minutes, Director – Erica Tremblay
Since her sister disappeared Jax (Lily Gladstone) has been looking after her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), who has her heart set on attending the upcoming powwow with her mother, however other family members are seeking custody.
There’s a clear heart and love between aunt and niece Jax (Lily Gladstone) and Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Jax has been looking after her niece ever since her sister went missing. Yet, there are those who say that Roki should be in a better home with more responsible, reliable members of her family – these are particularly Jax’s distant father (Shea Whigham) and his wife (Audrey Wasilewski). The battle for custody is heated, with Jax passionately fighting against it, especially in the wake of her niece wanting to attend an upcoming powwow, where she has previously won mother-daughter dances.
Gladstone and Deroy-Olson put in great performances, forming a quietly compelling relationship and set of events. As the pair leave the reservation to attend the powwow any sign that their loose plan may fall apart leads to a great deal of tension. One situation emphasised by the presence of an ICE agent conducting an apparent random questioning outside a shop. The closer they get, and the more Jax tries to get answers as to what happened to her sister – with help from her police detective brother JJ (Ryan Begay) – the more the film brings you in.
As the people around her become increasingly frustrated, with their feuds and personal battles growing more and more heated, Roki finds herself more intent on reaching the powwow. “It’s a way for everyone to be together” she says about the celebration and its dances and music, you really feel not just how much her heart is set on it, but what it means to her on a number of personal levels. Her story in particular, and the connection she has with Gladstone’s character, creates the emotional punches, with especially arrive in the later stages of the film. At just 90 minutes the narrative feels tight and well-built around the characters, further propelling the emotional beats and tense sequences.
One of the most quietly affecting scenes involves Whigham and Wasilewski talking to Deroy-Olson about Roki wanting to go to the powwow. Is that possible if she’s living with them? They might be busy, or simply not prepared to let her go, especially if she’s only just settling in. The conversations are disheartening for her, something felt by the viewer too. They also highlight Jax’s love for her niece and how much she’ll fight for her, both conflicting and complimenting her want to find out what has happened to her sister. The narrative uses this to move along and create something more emotionally engaging, especially as things develop and move out into the wider world. All grounded and made more engaging by the two well-connected performances at the centre of it.
Fancy Dance develops itself around its two great central performances from Gladstone and Deroy-Olson, bringing in tension and emotion as the personal beats create an increasingly compelling story.
Just A Little Bit Random 