David Ansen

“…. It is the most ravishing display of emotional fireworks you are likely to see on screen this year. "The Turning Point" has its flaws--some overwritten scenes and lapses into staginess and sentimentality--but they are those of heady excess and are easily forgiven….

“... [T]his is not primarily a dance film; it's a warm and stormily human melodrama, and it belongs finally to Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine. Bancroft has lately shown a tendency toward florid, great-lady-of-the-screen mannerisms, but here she has a part in which to use those mannerisms for all they're worth. Emma is a prima donna, as well as being a gifted and generous artist, and Bancroft is sensational in this tricky role. A part of Emma's soul is always "on." Charming, tough, manipulative and fiercely intelligent, she captures a woman who is always conscious of an effect, even in the wildest disarray. MacLaine's part has less razzle-dazzle, but she gives the film's most subtle, sustained performance . . . These are plum roles, and much of the excitement of "The Turning Point" comes from watching these two superb actresses take large, juicy bites.”

David Ansen
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