Learning life’s lessons on a dance floor
There will be those who will dismiss Shall We Dance? sight unseen as
a simplistic chick flick. That’s too bad, because they’ll be missing out on
one of the year’s most delightful films, a reaffirmation of life and love.
Richard Gere plays John Clark, a world-weary Chicago attorney who has everything
a man could ever want and yet finds his life lacking. Though he appreciates
the success he’s had and the wonderful home it’s afforded him and he loves his
supportive wife (Susan Sarandon) and daughter (Tamara Hope), he feels that something
is missing from his life. One night, as he rides the train home from work, he
notices a beautiful young woman standing in the window of a dance studio. The
sight of Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) compels Clark to enter the studio and impulsively
sign up for dance lessons. Though awkward on his feet and unsure of his purpose
at first, Clark comes to find great joy and confidence on the dance floor.
Paulina becomes John’s muse, not his lover, helping him learn to attack with
confidence and enthusiasm not only the dance floor but life as well. He, in
turn, gives her a reason to resume her dancing career, from which she has been
sidelined. The relationship they share is one of respect and admiration, and
the chemistry between the two stars makes it believable. Director Peter Chelsom
shows great restraint throughout the rest of the film as well, never laying
the sentiment on too thick and liberally using comedy along the way to keep
any hint of melodrama from creeping in.
Although the leads are great, the supporting cast Chelsom has assembled delivers
the film’s big laughs and memorable moments. Stanley Tucci, as a repressed attorney
whose Latin-lover alter ego emerges once he hits the dance floor, steals every
scene’s he’s in with his exuberant performance. Lisa Ann Walter matches him
step for step, delivering a screen-rending turn as the vivacious and obnoxious
Bobbie, a brazen woman who uses a tough veneer to hide her insecurities. These
two eventually dominate the dance floor, attacking it with a confidence they
lack in life but which they eventually employ to overcome their personal difficulties.
In the end, this is the film’s most effective message. The dance floor proves
an effective metaphor for life, affording those who dare to step on it the opportunity
to express themselves with grace and passion.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Cellular [PG-13] A young man (Chris Evans) gets a call from a woman
(Kim Basinger) who claims she was kidnapped, fears she’ll be killed, and doesn’t
know where she is. And his battery may die! ShowPlace West
Collateral [R] Tom Cruise is a hired killer who uses a cab to get
from one hit to another; Jamie Foxx is the cab driver who slowly begins to realize
what is going on. White Oaks
The Forgotten [PG-13] When a single mother loses her 8-year-old son
in an airplane crash, she seeks out psychiatric help in order to cope with her
grief. Instead, she’s told her son never existed. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace
East
Friday Night Lights [PG-13] Chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian
High Panthers in football-obsessed Odessa, Texas. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s
book. Billy Bob Thornton stars. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Ghost in the Shell 2 [PG-13] Bateau (Akio Ôtsuk), a cyborg detective
for an anti-terrorist unit, investigates the case of a female robot who killed
her owner. Animated. Parkway Pointe
Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry [PG-13] A documentary on
the Democratic nominee’s Vietnam service, his involvement in the antiwar movement,
and his long political career. Parkway Pointe
Ladder 49 [PG-13] A firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix), trapped in a fire
that’s likely to kill him, reviews his life. John Travolta also stars. Parkway
Pointe
Napoleon Dynamite [PG] The title character is an odd Idaho teenager
whose great loves are dancing and the ways of the ninja. Parkway Pointe
Raise Your Voice [PG] Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a girl from a
small town who finds summer romance at a performing arts high school in Los
Angeles. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Shark Tale [PG] The son of the shark mob boss is found dead and a
fish named Oscar is at the scene of the crime. Voices by Will Smith, Robert
De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese, and others.
ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Shrek 2 [PG] Princess Fiona’s parents invite her and Shrek to dinner
to celebrate her marriage, not realizing that the newlyweds are green ogres.
White Oaks
Spider-Man 2 [PG-13] Peter Parker still has personal problems, while
Spider-Man is forced to confront Doctor Octopus. White Oaks
Taxi [PG-13] A rookie cop (Jimmy Fallon) tries to connect a bank-robbing
beauty (Gisele Bundchen) to a series of recent burglaries. He gets his tips
from a mouthy cab driver (Queen Latifah). Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Team America: World Police [R] Marionette superheroes are on a mission
to end terrorism and eliminate tired celebrities. From the creators of South
Park. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Village [PG-13] M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable),
the director who brought intelligence and thought to the horror and science-fiction
genres, is back with a period tale about a tiny village in 1897 Pennsylvania
that is surrounded by a forest hiding a group of mythical beasts. White Oaks
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2004.
