Bruce Beresford’s adaptation of Li Cunxin’s memoirs ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ has been one of the success stories for Australian cinema in 2009. The movie has done extremely well at the box office since its release at the beginning of October and recently won this years’ AFI News Limited Reader’s Choice Award for most popular film.

Li Cunxin’s life story, his extraordinary journey from being born in January 1961 into a poor family in the Shandong province in China, to achieving acclaim with the Houston Ballet company, to his painful defection to the West that made world-wide news, to his new life in Melbourne Australia where he has changed careers and become a senior stockbroker, is the perfect vehicle for an inspirational bio-pic.

Beresford brings ‘The Peasant Prince’s’ amazing journey memorably to life. Jan Sardi’s astute screenplay that toggles between different periods in his life work effectively. Christopher Gordon’s sweeping AFI award winning score gives the film plenty of atmosphere. Beresford uses three fine actors to play the role of Li Cunxin at different stages of his life; Huang Wen Bin as the child, Chengwu Guo as the teenager and Chi Cao Li as the adult.

There are some fine performances in the supporting cast; Joan Chen as Li’s mother, Bruce Greenwood portrayal of the visionary director of the Houston Ballet company who sees and mentors Li’s potential, and two fine actresses, Amanda Schull as Elizabeth and Camilla Vergotis as Mary, who play the two women in his life.

‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ builds up to a memorable climax that lyrically completes Li’s main journey. This is a film to enjoy and savour!