Philip Glass

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – It’s rather serendipitous that the new film “Dancing Across Borders” will have it’s Chicago premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center, which is literally around the corner from the Oriental Theater’s production of “Billy Elliot.” The true-life story in “Borders” has some striking similarities to that of the wildly hyped musical, since they both center on a young man whose passion for dance allows him to overcome the limitations of his underprivileged upbringing.

CHICAGO – There are dozens of concert films and music DVDs out there. Most of them are interchangeable collector’s items made almost solely for diehard fans of the band or artist. Very few transcend the limitations of their sub-genre to become more than a mild diversion. “Paul Simon and Friends” is one of those very few.