The Full Monty - 1997 - UK

The Full Monty - 1997 - 6/10  

 
The glory of Sheffield, mills closed, men out of work.
Available jobs akin to “want fries with that?”
Gaz and Dave steal scrap, lose scrap, trying to earn a pittance.
When they see a poster for a male striptease act, they decide to offer a local version. 
Aside from one, these are not model specimens.
Unpleasant, uncomfortable comedy is laugh out loud and sad.

Funny Face - 1957 - USA

Funny Face - 1957 - 7/10

 
The fashion magazine arrives in a trendy bookshop (Greenwich Village).
Models amidst “intellect” (books).  Recall Playmates wanting to be engineers or rocket scientists.
Afterward, the photographer stays behind to assist employee Jo repair the shambles.
Sparks generate, then a song, then off to fashion center of the world – Paris.
Gershwin numbers, dancing by a superlative Audrey Hepburn, amidst haute couture.
Splashy Hollywood romance is an enjoyable spectacle.
If – IF – you can overlook the Fred Astaire / Audrey Hepburn age discrepancy.

The Nickel-Hopper - 1926 - USA

The Nickel-Hopper - 1926 - 6/10

 
Mabel tries to fend off a pushy masher (Boris Karloff).
She’s a 2 1/2 ¢ a dance hostess (not a dime a dance) in a feverish club.
Oliver Hardy plays a raucous Jazz drummer, and the club is a peek into the Roaring 20’s.
Awash with money, speculation, giddy with dreams, America on the cusp of Depression.
Charming film.  Mabel had one more year of movies in her tank, followed by the reckoning.
Plagued by scandals, misfortune, and ill health, she would die in 1930.

Message In A Bottle - 2023 - UK

Message In A Bottle - 2023 - 6/10

 
War explodes into the peaceful, happy community.
Family and neighbors decide to make the watery voyage to a new country.
Theatre story is all dance, set to the music of Sting.
My bride, one-time dancer, still aficionado, voiced her criticisms.
Dancers were great, choreography uninspired.
Ballet exercises mixed with break-dancing.  Not telling a story, merely jumping about the stage.
Me?  Music was poorly presented.  Compressed mono.
Moreover, half the tunes hailed from Sting’s old group (who went unmentioned).

English subs = https://subscene.cam/subtitle/3291866

Footlight Parade - 1933 - USA

Footlight Parade - 1933 - 7/10  

 
Director of Broadway musicals, which aren’t doing so well, changes gears and puts on Broadway preludes.
Yes, another variation of,  “Kids, let’s put on a show!”
Except this one is spectacular.
James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler headline the cast.
Cagney’s performance is on-fire ferocious, while Blondell is sexy and wisecracking as ever.
One watches, however, for the outrageous Busby Berkeley dance numbers.
“The Honeymoon Hotel” is beyond risqué, while “Shanghai Lil” is set in a bordello and opium den.
Fantastic musical and brilliant gem from the Pre-Code era.

Strictly Ballroom - 1992 - Australia

Strictly Ballroom - 1992 - 7/10

 
Dance and romance.
“New steps!  New steps!  New steps!”
“No, there will be no new steps.”
Enter the ferociously competitive sport of ballroom dancing.
Tights and sequins, bouffant hair and glitter, AND approved footwork.
Paul is tired of the same dance moves, as well as tired of his fearful partner.
He meets mousy Fran who introduces him to her world of Spanish immigrants and Flamenco.
Stifled dreams clash with modernity on the dance floor.
Baz Luhrmann’s first film is a comic gem.

Northern Soul - 2014 - UK

Northern Soul - 2014 - 6/10

 
Companion film to documentary Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend.
This opens as the scene seems near its zenith.  Wigan Casino, “the” dancehall, is many miles away, however.
Drugs, primarily amphetamines, are a given (dancing till dawn) and dealing is a major subplot.
A secondary plot is tracking down obscure RnB 45s, or figuring out what mystery track a DJ is playing.
There is also a love - infatuation - story.  Male bonding.  Dance numbers.
The film suffers from a little bit of this, a little bit of that,
Really, the viewer unaware of the Northern Soul period might have trouble connecting the links here.
Fine soundtrack of lost Hard Soul music.
Enjoyable, though it meandered.

Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend - 2014 - UK

Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend - 2014 - 7/10

 
Another documentary on the scene that flourished in Northern England from late 60's to mid 70's, stressing obscure hard soul songs hailing from the 60's US.
The region - at least those particular clubbers - ignored psychedelia, bubblegum, heavy metal and just wanted music to dance the night away.  None of that sitting and nodding stuff.
Athletic dance moves prefigure break-dancing, along with a juicy mix of stomping tunes.
This period has been covered in a couple other docs, but Living For Weekend seems target dated for the imminent release of the film version.
Packed with music, some of the usual clips, different shuffle of talking heads.
Should satisfy the curious and provide an easy introduction to Northern Soul.

The Young Girls Of Rochefort - 1966 - France

The Young Girls Of Rochefort - 1966 - 5/10
AKA - Les Demoiselles de Rochefort

 
What a disappointing howler.
This was followup to The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg.
Seaside village prepares for the end of summer fete, as the French version of carnival arrives.
Looking for love are Catherine Deneuve and her real life sister Françoise Dorléac (who died tragically young that year).
Also on hand, dancing away, are George Chakiris and Gene Kelly.
Dancing is an understatement, the film is almost nonstop choreography.
Numerous songs by Michel Legrand, none truly memorable.
The movie gets exhausting after awhile.  The impression is that everyone tried too hard.

Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance - 2013 - UK

Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance - 2013 - 7/10

 
Revamped take on Tchaikovsky’s ballet.
1890, the infant princess is surrounded by faerie,
Next, forward 21 years, 1911, the apex of the Romanov Dynasty.
Reawakening in 100 years to a world of cellphone and baggy clothed hipsters.
The opening part, for me, has always been a toil to watch or listen to.
The second part, circa 1911, promised much, being on the cusp of the Russian Revolution.
Alas, slumber struck Princess Aurora, though her childhood love was allowed to follow.
How?  Why being turned into a vampire by one of the “good” vampires.
Yes, you read correct.  The fairies have been rebooted as vampires.
Better than zombies, I suppose.
Tchaikovsky’s 3-4 hour ballet trimmed to 100”.  Adam Maskell riveting as Carabosse / Caradoc.

Just Like A Woman - 2012 - UK

Just Like A Woman - 2012 - 6/10

 
Chick flick hits the road.
Two women flee Chicago for a belly dance competition in Santa Fe.
To pay for fuel and supplies, they perform at bars and clubs along the way.
Fabulous outdoor scenery provides backdrop to confessions and fears.
Unlike other traveling souls who seem drawn to trouble, these two try to avoid it.
Their past trails after them, however, and free spirits always capture attention.

Polina - 2016 - France

Polina - 2016 - 7/10
AKA - Polina, Danser sa Vie

 
Young Polina (I'd guess eight or nine) passes the enrollment tryouts for prestigious training school.
Her home life mixes with rigorous teachings until she auditions with the Bolshoi.
At this point, the story, which was following a predictable path, takes the unforeseen turn.
Polina starts a "personal" journey into unknown territory which puts her into conflicts.
For dance enthusiasts, this goes beyond the typical suffering for art reruns.
Great dance sequences, a broad display of styles, and a rich range of influences.
Juliette Binoche, with no formal dance training, does an impressive turn as choreographer / dancer.

Step - 2017 - USA

Step - 2017 - 7/10

 
Documentary about the step dance team from the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women.
The squad, the Lethal Ladies, have never won the city competition, but they have a new coach.
Seniors struggle to get into college, deal with bad grades, difficult mothers, boys.
Feel good material is darkened by inner-city realities, as well as the understanding that the dream of college, for many, is just that.  A dream.
Camera zeroes in on a handful in the squad, leaving this viewer, at least, wondering about other faces.
Doc does not shy away from a few unpleasantries, but it does not dig deeper, either.
Perhaps because the subjects are minors.  As mentioned, feel good.

Finding Your Feet - 2017 - UK

Finding Your Feet - 2017 - 6/10

 
During the housewarming party, wife discovers her husband has been having an affair with her best friend.
The wife, a snob and social climber, soon moves herself into her boho sister's flat.
What follows is the clash of class and cultures.
Oldsters predominate in this feel good fluff about finding one's true values and learning to dance!
Well cast and acted throughout, but story is a scroll of clichés, bordering on corn.
Should be a hit with your gran.

Suspiria - 2018 - Italy

Suspiria - 2018 - 7/10

 
Note:  Script by Argento, but this is not the 1977 classic.
A young American dancer is accepted into an exclusive Berlin troupe.
Some of her predecessors had been murdered or simply disappeared.
This is a film of atmosphere, mood, and set-design.
Dance sequences are a highlight, along with stunning cinematography
Horror runs as an undercurrent, flowering in the final act.
This “remake” is arthouse, of which prospective viewers should be aware.

Twyla Moves - 2021 - USA

Twyla Moves - 2021 - 7/10

 
Documentary on choreographer Twyla Tharp.
One half chronicles her efforts to present a virtual dance (Covid) featuring 4-5 dancers in their separate homes.
We watch her work to synchronize the movements despite time lags.
This weaves back and forth with her career chronology.
Childhood – early training – troupes – major shows.
Personal details, not so much.  She was married, bore a son, divorced.
Apparently she had custody of the son, whom she apparently neglected.
The career, the company, the touring, all were more important.
A “breakdown” is referenced, never elaborated upon.
This is not a bad documentary, and will be essential for fans, yet it is a parade of triumphs.
Best of luck trying to find videos of her Broadway shows.

Dancer - 2016 - UK

Dancer - 2016 - 7/10

 
Critics declare Sergie Polunin is greatest dancer of his generation.
Profile shows his early youth, where his talent is clearly recognized.
Also the sacrifices made by his family to underwrite his training and education.
The pressure becomes a heavy burden and the doc is unflinching about showing the strain he is under.
And how humans often stumble and falter.
Rewarding film for dancers, very young dancers, especially parents of aspiring dancers.

Magic Mike - 2012 - USA

Magic Mike - 2012 - 6/10

 
Energetic remake of 1981's Ladies Man, with a dose of Tony Manero and The Village People.
One does not expect plot here, and there was little.  Little sleaze as well.
The gents were very buff, the dance routines little more than M Jackson's crotch grab.
Not much effort there, I'm afraid.
For a better, more fun, film about male strippers, track down the guys calling themselves Hot Metal.
The Full Monty.