audrablum This week I watched Baz Luhrmann's dramedy romance Strictly Ballroom (1992). The logline reads "A maverick dancer risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner." I was excited to see the movie that launched Luhrmann into larger things, and I was not disappointed. There are parts of the film where you see his early directing choices that improved with time and parts of the film where he does his Baz-y thing and treats our eyes to something rich, original and beautiful. The story definitely took some over-the-top liberties, but remembering this is cinema the eccentricness can be overlooked. Typical of a Luhrmann piece, the mother and one other female is a complete diva, while the true starlett is of a calmer, quieter, and arguably more "ladylike". The story was a playful, parts were silly, but the climax of the film was a great payoff. The acting was good, some actors were naturally stronger than others. Overall, the production values were good, there were a few shooting errors, and a lot of overused elements, but I think that directors get experience over time. I think this is apparent through his later films like The Great Gatsby (2013) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). I enjoyed this movie and can't believe that I waited so long to see it!

Ben Franklin If you enjoyed Moulin Rouge then you owe it to yourself to check out Strictly Ballroom, which Baz Luhrmann wrote and directed nine years earlier. There are several scenes, such as the one on the roof with the Coca Cola sign, that will have you thinking of scenes from Moulin Rouge.Strictly Ballroom has all the makings of a classic feelgood movie; a protagonist who has a story arc that takes him from hero to zero, before starting his journey back to redemption (or not), a heroin who starts of looking frumpy with a poor choice in glasses and acne, and a whole host of support actors who are truly marvellous.I don't want to spoil the movie for you so I'm not going to go into any of the plot twists and turns, but I can say that once you start watching you are unlikely to stop, as it is an absolute corker of a film.

gavin6942 A maverick dancer (Paul Mercurio) risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner.Although not the international sensation that "Moulin Rouge" or "Romeo and Juliet" are, there is definitely the fingerprints of Baz Luhrmann all over this. The music, of course, is very much Baz. But more so the colors. He apparently had to go the extra mile to get the Coca-Cola sign into the film, and it makes sense why he wanted it so badly: it is the very definition of what makes a Baz film: those bright, bold primary colors.This will probably never be considered a classic, and it has probably become more obscure over the last decade rather than more well-known, despite Baz's success. But still.

lepoisson-1 I sure enjoyed it despite the complete lack of explosions or car chases.Where I'm coming from: I'm a 54 year old male who has danced for 15 years. My girlfriend has danced since she was 3. We don't compete because it would make our relaxing hobby a pressured nightmare (and, frankly, because I'm not very good). My daughter competed and did very well.Some reviewers apparently missed that this movie is a satire and it's supposed to be dumb and funny. Having sat through more competitions than I can count, I can state this movie hits the nail on the head. The parents, the kids, the beginners, the prima donnas...it's all true. Yes, it's really campy and schmaltzy, the plot has holes you could drive a truck through, the acting is sometimes marginal, but we both enjoyed it and laughed out loud.And what's the best part of this movie? The dancing. It is photographed and edited such that you can really see and enjoy the dancing without having constant cutaways to the judges or the audience (as in current American TV dance competitions. I don't know about you, but I watch dance shows for the dancing).There are no deep plot twists to be analyzed, no characters I need to understand better...but we definitely plan to watch this again because the dancing is really good.If you liked this, you will enjoy Best in Show.