Dance Me Off My Feet... (Strictly Ballroom (DVD))

Member Name: BizzyB

Product:	Strictly Ballroom (DVD)
Date:	17/10/01 (207 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Soundtrack, A great family film, Feelgood

Disadvantages: Avoid if you have sequin phobia

One of my all time favourite films is surely Strictly Ballroom, the 1992 Australian comedy classic and I use the word classic with much thought. I've written an opinion on Muriel's Wedding, another famed Australian comedy that came out of the same era as Strictly Ballroom. Both films highlighted the distinctive and unique brand of Australian comedy of that time that set it apart from the American mainstream.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann, this was his first feature film as director before going on to direct the hugely popular Romeo + Juliet and more recently Moulin Rogue. In amongst this add the fact he produced the original, if not mildly irritating, 1999 song 'Everybody's free to wear sunscreen', and you know that as not only director of the film but co-writer with Craig Pearce, Strictly Ballroom is going to be nothing if not individualistic.

OVERVIEW

Once again I try not to give away to much of the film's plot as I describe the film which has one of the most novel films to hit the screens. Luhrmann cleverly uses a documentary style opening and interludes which pull you into the film and make you quickly form bonds with the loveable characters on the way.

The storyline follows Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), one of Australia's great hopes in the competitive world of ballroom dancing. Surrounded by dance, Scott's parents own a small dancing school, those around him live for the dream that Scott will lift Pan Pacific Championship trophy with dancing partner Liz. Surely the most enthusiastic for Scott to achieve ballroom greatness is his mother Shirley, a former dance champion herself, who's iron determination and fraught ambition fills the air with tension, very much the antithesis of her husband Doug who is timid and all but mute.

But the road to starlight stardom is rocky for Scoot who's passion for dance and natural talent means he wants to escape the strict rigours of the ballr
oom rules. Scott wants to dance his own steps - Scott is a rumba rebel. As those around him panic that he will be too individual for the rule bound ballroom world, his chances of success seem distant as his regular dance partner leaves. There only seems to be one person who believes in Scott's vision, Fran the ugly-duckling dance pupil but as a total novice surely Scott could not consider her as a new partner?

It emerges Fran's own love of dancing is equally as perplexing to her family. From a traditional Spanish family with strong dancing bonds they will not accept that ballroom is anything more than mickey mouse dancing, a mutilated form of 'real' movement.

And whilst Scott feels the isolation the question arises, what secrets does the past hold, is this history repeating itself?

Ballroom dancing, a pastime that is ridiculed by many may not seem the obvious choice for a feature film though when you realise it is a comedy you accept it as a possibility. But if you think Strictly Ballroom is a mickey take of a hobby that opens itself so readily to easy humour you'd be wrong. Yes this film takes the sequins and dusts them with glitter. The dresses are flouncy, the hair is bleached and the tans are permaglow but it is done with such affection, such humour you know the director actually has the upmost respect for this dazzling community.


Now take all that in and through away your preconceptions! As I have written it, it sounds a mildly amusing storyline but it is the visual excellence and treatment that Luhrmann injects that transform the film into a small masterpiece.

SCRIPT

The script is water tight. Short, sharp and sweet, Luhrmann does not beat the storyline into the viewer with excessive drivel - hurray! Very rarely can a writer produce a comic script that has to have the characters deliver the lines with drama without it sounding like lead hitting tin. The ballroom talk is deadly
serious to the characters but as outsiders we can see the pure absurdity of it all - superb. The chairman of the Australian Dance Federation booms "There are no new steps" and you heart rate goes up!

SETTING/COSTUME

The film uses setting perfectly. From the worn and over polished floors of the dance school with hazy light streaming through the grimy windows to the sparkling, ice-like floors of the dance competitions. The rainbow lights, the mirrored balls - it is a feast on the eyes. And then the director swings us round to Fran's home. Cleverly taking us there first at night, it highlights the dark and cramped home by the railway tracks; not so streamlined or crystal clean but loved and homely reflecting the families Spanish background in a little corner of Australia.

With a subject such as ballroom dancing you know the attention to detail has to be perfect and it is. Ballroom dancing is famed for its somewhat over the top outfits, anyone who's watched Come Dancing, knows of the scraped back bleach blonde hair and tans that glow in the dark. This film just takes the parody a little further but not into the realms of disbelief. The sequins are plentiful, the lipstick is shocking pink and it has to be. This is a film depicting big emotion in a small world and the look of the characters perfectly echoes their dreams of stardom when stardom equals sparkle.

ACTORS

I cannot fault a single actor in this film. Given the characters and setting it is hard for them not to fall into pure caricturture but no-one fails this trap.

Without doubt Paul Mercurio who plays Scott Hastings has a wonderful and brooding presence throughout the film. Possibly not since John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever has a dancing man on screen set the heart fluttering as much. I am not a dancer so cannot begin to comment on his dancing ability but from the viewpoint of an untrained eye he flows. Remarkably graceful, manly
and sexy here's a leading man you want to literally sweep you off your feet. He comes across with great passion.

Tina Morice as Fran also turns in a superb performance. Thanks to careful direction and use of costume and make-up her transformation from ugly-duckling is not as crude as in so many other films, there's no stereotyped secretary with a bun and glasses scenario here. The whole character of Fran revolves around subtlety and growth with Morice brings across very well.

The supporting cast all deserve credit especially Scott's parents, Shirley played by Pat Thompson (Strictly Ballroom was her last film before her sad death) and Doug played by Barry Otto. The Hastings couple have their agenda when it comes to the acceptance of new dance steps but why?

Antonio Vargas stars as Fran's father Rico and in reality is a well respected Flamenco dancer and actually worked as the dance trainer on the film. You will soon see why, he embodies the true passion that is flamenco, disregard any holiday shows you may have seen/ For real flamenco I feel you have to go to the heartland of Andalucia in Spain and for me Vargas is a very good representation of that movement.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Well maybe special effects isn't the right term to use and I'm afraid my knowledge of proper movie terminology is nil! But what I would like to point out is the innovative way Luhrmann uses flashbacks. I don't want to give the game away but it really is quite special and has an air of the comic book about it. The flashbacks are not only in keeping with the film but add to that sense of fairytale and wonder.

SOUNDTRACK

For a long time I have marveled at the amount of well known songs ballroom dancing can set a rumba or cha-cha beat to! Strictly Ballroom is no different and with its happy and energetic soundtrack it is a hard person who doesn't feel their toe tapping! In times of seriousness, of w
hich there are a few, there a re some beautiful uses of music most notably Cyndi Lauper's 'Time after Time' though I am biased to that song anyway. The other song very much associated with the film is 'Love is in the Air' - a wonderful piece of popular music, come on - get up and dance!

There is also the great respect and use of traditional Spanish music and rhythm in the film which as Frans' family would wants, perfectly upstages the ballroom music for the gloss it is. As you will see in the film finale it is the rhythm that is the key.

OVERALL

Films rarely come more feelgood than this. I can watch it time and time again and not get bored of it. It could so easily have been escapist or toppled over into pastiche but it never does. I had the greatest amount of warmth for Scott, Fran and their families and a vile dislike of the ballroom big wigs (in some cases quite literally big wigs, the hair in this film is phenomenal!). It may have a rather predictable storyline put you cannot fault its good heart.

It is as happy and loud as the dancers sequined dresses. It is pure glitter on a the screen. Even those who have little interest or regard in ballroom dancing will find this uniquely presented comedy entertaining. You have to have a real phobia of the dance and music not to enjoy it and fair dues - each to their own.

It is a film to lift the spirits and I would certainly recommend it if you need cheering up, it's one of those films that makes life seem that bit better than before.

And what's more it truly is a family film with a certificate PG - no nudity, no swearing, no violence, it is a lovely break from the more intense offerings that seem to surround us everywhere these days when PG usually equates to children's film. Not so here, dare I say it's good old-fashioned entertainment? And come on boys, don't be scared by the musical, girlie tag it often gets, open yo
ur hearts and you'll love it and I won't force you to tell anyone if that helps ;o)

I did a search on the internet and found the video at a staggering low £4.99 at amazon! I feel a purchase coming on - this is happy medicine on tape as far as I'm concerned. The dvd is available at around £18.99 for those more technically advanced than my house!

So come on everyone, up out of the chair and lets get that rumba beat going?

#"Love is in the air??."

(c) Rebecca Hobbs (BizzyB/BizzyBek)

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