A dance-infused tribute to the virtuoso choreographer who graced the world’s greatest stages, driven by a quest for perfection in both art and love. South Africa-born John Cranko (a tour-de-force performance by Sam Riley) is the toast of 1950s London until he is caught up in a “cottaging” scandal and prosecuted for homosexual activity. Recruited by the Stuttgart Ballet, the manic workaholic revitalizes the company and develops a world-renowned ensemble, but still grapples with destructive urges. Benefitting from writer-director Joachim A. Lang’s extensive research, the film accurately depicts Cranko as adored by his dancers, yet a frequent headache for others. Riley plays him as a high maintenance bundle of contradictions: generous, ebullient, depressive, highly cultured but with a taste for rough trade, and able to focus even after extreme drinking bouts. Meanwhile, Lang finds unusually vivid means of conveying how a driven creator’s mind works, showing the dance ideas in his head wonderfully performed. –AS