Strictly Ballroom (1993)

quirky fun film

I really like this "quirky" off-beat film. It has a kind of "English" dry humor to it. If you liked "The hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy" you will like this film too. I liked this film enough to buy and send my mother a copy. October 10, 2008

STRICTLY BALLROOM

Outstanding movie! I never get tired of watching it. I've purchased it for myself and as a gift to friends. September 29, 2008

Luhrmann's visionary style makes this unoriginal concept feel vibrant and new...

Once you get past the fact that this films plot is nothing more than regurgitated clichés you can actually enjoy the film for what it isn't; generic. Yes, the plot may be entirely unoriginal but there is nothing formulaic about the delivery. Baz Luhrmann has a very distinct style; one that either repulses or engages the audience. We've seen this style manifest in his infectious take on `Romeo + Juliet' and of course in his big hit `Moulin Rouge!' but his style is working overtime in his debut film `Strictly Ballroom'. With sporadic bursts of flare and imagery, `Strictly Ballroom' dances around the audience like a flamenco dancer on speed, and this works wonders in making this film feel fresh and new despite the fact that, when stripped of its visionary delivery, its not new at all.

The film tells the story of Scott Hastings, a championship ballroom dancer who is bucking the system by insisting on dancing his own steps instead of the standard dance steps forced on him by the dance committee. His mother Shirley is up in arms about what to do with him. She at one time was a famous dancer herself and lost out on her shot at gold and just wants her son to have what she never had; but his arrogance is standing in the way of her dream. When his dance partner leaves him because of his stubbornness he finds himself training Fran, the homely girl who is just a beginner at dance, to be his partner.

The film follows that same formula of boy meets girl, girl isn't too pretty but cleans up nice, girl learns moves, boy learns humility, boy and girl have rocky patch in relationship, boy and girl reconcile, boy and girl turn heads; but it's the getting there that is so unique and refreshing.

Baz incorporates his breed of storytelling (which is something I've found a lot of in Australian cinema, they are very bright and loud and all over the place) in `Strictly Ballroom' with dynamic results. The dancing is not as flamboyant as I would have expected (and I was rather let down by the final dance scene) but each scene is infused with enough spontaneity to make up for any lack of flare in the dancing.

The acting is very good, hilarious and heartwarming. Paul Mercurio is excellent as Scott and Tara Morice (who looks a lot like Samantha Morton and Emily Watson) is flawless as Fran; truly captivating and endearing. Bill Hunter and Pat Thomson are hysterical as Scott's mother and coach who are determined to see him win gold, and Barry Otto is nicely used, if a bit out of place, as Doug, Scott's father.

The script really gives the actors a lot to work with and they all put their best foot forward in making `Strictly Ballroom' a memorable and entertaining experience. It's loud and vivacious and totally in-your-face, and this works. If you are a fan of Luhrmann's more famed work then this is one you will want to check out. Luhrmann has a way of taking the familiar (face it, even `Moulin Rouge!' is quite unoriginal) and making it feel all his own, as if we've never seen it before.

To be honest, you've never seen this before, at least not done this way; of that you can be sure. September 19, 2008

Good film

I recently watched the first film in the noted Red Curtain Trilogy by Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, Strictly Ballroom. This 1993 indie classic preceded its more well known and more highly budgeted siblings, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge. While I enjoyed the twists to modernize Shakespeare in the former and the non-stop rollercoaster of the latter- and I am notoriously averse to musicals, I believe that Strictly Ballroom is probably the best of the three films, followed by Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet. They are all good films, mind you, and Luhrmann is one of the most innovative filmmakers around, but there is an emotional punch that this film packs that the two later films lack- as they are more style over substance, albeit wonderful style. This is not to argue that Strictly Ballroom is flawless- it's not, but it is a prime example of a film making use of a `classic' formula, yet avoiding cliché by virtue of its innovation and excellence of execution in all areas.... Yet, the film is also a wonderfully filmed piece. There are two scenes that are just gorgeously composed. Early in the film Scott and Fran are practicing on the roof of the Les Kendall (Peter Whitford) dance studio, where his parents teach, under a Coca-Cola sign, as the sun sets. Alone, the composition is wonderful, but as a version of the Cyndi Lauper hit song Time After Time plays on it is a memorable shot. Then, there is the scene, set near Fran's parents' home at a railyard, that could have been right out of Dr. Zhivago- with a rich dark blue sky, a chain link fence, and just the two characters on a barren landscape. Just beautiful. It's no wonder Luhrmann's films are all visual marvels.
In a sense this light-hearted comedy reminded me most of the later My Big, Fat Greek Wedding in how it approached odd situations and characters and humanized them by having them funneled through experiences that moviegoers have seen too many times before with people like themselves, and it's this very dissonance of the unexpected and the expected, as well as great acting and filmmaking, that allow films like those two to succeed, where lesser films and filmmakers fail.
September 18, 2008

Fun Film, Meaningful Theme

Strictly Ballroom is a movie that you can watch again and again and its still entertaining each time. Many cliches are used to bring humor to this very funny film, however the movie has a slightly serious hidden theme: "A life lived in fear... is a life half lived."
I recommend this film for people who enjoy musicals or entertaining foreign films. A tidbit for those of you who are more concerned with pop culture, the star, Paul Mercurio, was a choreographer/movement consultant for the popular film iRobot. Mercurio again proves himself an expert in the field of movement. July 11, 2008

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