Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Genre: Music / Romance
Duration: 94 minuten
Country:
Australia
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice and Bill Hunter
IMDb score:
7,2 (30.765)
Releasedate: 20 August 1992
Strictly Ballroom plot
"A life lived in fear... ...is a life half lived."
Scott Hastings is a dance champion, but he doesn't find favor with the dance committee because he introduces his own steps that go against all the rules. Fran is an ugly duckling who becomes Scott's dance partner. Together, these two misfits take the chance to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championships.
Actors and actresses
Scott Hastings
Fran
Barry Fife
Shirley Hastings
Liz Holt
Les Kendall
Doug Hastings
Ken Railings
Tina Sparkle
Charm Leachman
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
-
- 87623 messages
- 12890 votes
Reasonable.
In terms of concept, a real monster of a film. You can already dream the whole course, whereby especially the last half hour (including inappropriate but genre-obligatory drama) is actually impossible to watch. But fortunately the director also has something to say.
First of all, nice plastic characters. They are somewhere between the early work of Jackson and Eagle vs Shark. Heavy characters of course, but very funny and well-presented. Most of the humor comes from them.
Furthermore, you can already notice Luhrmann's flair, although he is someone who benefits from a huge budget. He can do it with much less, but is forced to lose some of the swing and bling, which does not benefit the film entirely.
There is a nice feel-good atmosphere, it is presented nicely, but the basis is really a bit too weak and the whole ballroom thing is not really my thing. It makes the film more fun than expected, but I didn't really think it was great.
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
mjk87 (moderator films)
-
- 14602 messages
- 4554 votes
Nice movie. Every frame makes it clear that this is a bit over the top, absolute kitsch - sometimes it works (as a critique of dance competitions or parents who push children) and sometimes it doesn't (it just went a bit too far for me). The central couple is a nice couple though and all the clichés aren't too bad, especially since Luhrmann lays it all on so thick, with a big wink.
But well, that's not what it's all about of course. It's the colours, the bad music, the dance moves and especially the wonderful rhythm in which all this is edited. When there's a dance scene, the tempo increases and you're watching a wonderful film, in the other scenes, at least half of the film, you're watching a particularly mediocre, bland film. But the positive does dominate. 3.5*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
anne J
-
- 1525 messages
- 977 votes
Surprising film! As the film progressed it got better and better, what a lovely style. Lovely bombastic, over-the-top colourful with the dancers vs. natural colours with the Spaniards, nicely satirical towards the dance world (and absolutely recognisable, even though this was in the nineties and exaggerated of course), the close-ups on the faces of the characters that often worked both alienating and reinforcing at the same time (only for the better). Just, nice style. Original.
In the beginning it quickly became clear that this film would be different, but then I still doubted in what way different, for better or for worse? But that was only for the better. The only comment is that the plot is fairly predictable and not entirely original. But for me the style and the dance were absolutely the main thing. Also a plus: a lot of dance in the film. Not only as bits 'now they are going to dance and we are going to watch such a scene', but the dance was an intrinsic part of the film, of the story and of the way of telling.
No, I expected this. But now I see that it was directed by Baz Luhrmann. And that suddenly explains a lot. I recorded it because it was one of the few ballroom dance films I had not seen yet. I had no idea who the director was beforehand, but I could absolutely appreciate him/her while watching.
4*
I'm not throwing this one off the production line just yet.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Trending Movies
Corporate & Media
Realtimes Network
Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31(315)-764002
