David Winters once again works his anti-magic on a potentially interesting (if derivative) story idea. The results are...quite cheesy and tone-deaf.
A large part the problem comes from decision to cast dancers who are not actors in major speaking parts, while the rest comes from Winters' (and his writers') inability or unwillingness to grasp the emotional core of whatever "good" film they are currently aping, or to match its art direction and design.
I've nothing against the female lead, really.. I'd probably decide she was quite attractive if I encountered her in person. But on screen she's a black hole who sucks the energy out of any scene with dialog. It appears that a huge chunk of her dialog is dubbed or ADR'd.
Furthermore, she's so "made up" and perfectly tanned that she seems to have been dipped in lacquer. The net effect is to make her look like a Barbie doll, not a dancer. Weirdly, she also seems somewhat soft and heavy for the part - although admittedly well within "normal" variations. Please note that I'm not going to do any "body shaming" here, but obviously the film makers felt the same way; notice the odd, pleated cut of many of her outfits, obviously meant to hide her figure flaws.
Her actual dancing is fine...but when she isn't dancing, she doesn't even WALK convincingly.
And the character is such a child of privilege that it's impossible for me to identify with or even like her.
The male lead is somewhat better, but his character is an idiot who isn't believable for a second. As proof, I offer his ridiculous and risible "rage dance" sequence. No human being in the history of the world has ever done this. Well, Michael Jackson probably did, but he's a special case.
I know this movie is supposed to be a fantasy, existing in its own world, like a Hallmark Movie Channel special. It doesn't matter. Winters and his screenwriter throw all kinds of spectacle and attractive people up on the screen for background and color...but even the extras and supporting cast are brought down by the complete lack of soul or grit, and are further hampered by bizarrely ineffective editing, art direction, and camera work.
I should note that Winters himself appears in a supporting role in his own movie. He was a dancer early in his career, with an impressive gig ("West Side Story") to his credit. So in this thing, he's the guru/mentor with a tragic backstory who dispenses Zen bromides about dance to our heroes. While he has charisma, he's as bad as everyone else. His dancing is fine - he's still admirably loose and fluid, although he appears so old and frail that I feared he might pull a ligament. But however earnest and reflective of his deepest beliefs his character might be, he's flat as a pancake. I felt bad for him.
You could do worse than watch this movie. And whatever else you say about it, it's cheerful and sunny. People who uncritically love dance movies in any form will probably never notice its problems. But for the rest of us, it's such a misfire that you'll probably not be able to finish it.
A large part the problem comes from decision to cast dancers who are not actors in major speaking parts, while the rest comes from Winters' (and his writers') inability or unwillingness to grasp the emotional core of whatever "good" film they are currently aping, or to match its art direction and design.
I've nothing against the female lead, really.. I'd probably decide she was quite attractive if I encountered her in person. But on screen she's a black hole who sucks the energy out of any scene with dialog. It appears that a huge chunk of her dialog is dubbed or ADR'd.
Furthermore, she's so "made up" and perfectly tanned that she seems to have been dipped in lacquer. The net effect is to make her look like a Barbie doll, not a dancer. Weirdly, she also seems somewhat soft and heavy for the part - although admittedly well within "normal" variations. Please note that I'm not going to do any "body shaming" here, but obviously the film makers felt the same way; notice the odd, pleated cut of many of her outfits, obviously meant to hide her figure flaws.
Her actual dancing is fine...but when she isn't dancing, she doesn't even WALK convincingly.
And the character is such a child of privilege that it's impossible for me to identify with or even like her.
The male lead is somewhat better, but his character is an idiot who isn't believable for a second. As proof, I offer his ridiculous and risible "rage dance" sequence. No human being in the history of the world has ever done this. Well, Michael Jackson probably did, but he's a special case.
I know this movie is supposed to be a fantasy, existing in its own world, like a Hallmark Movie Channel special. It doesn't matter. Winters and his screenwriter throw all kinds of spectacle and attractive people up on the screen for background and color...but even the extras and supporting cast are brought down by the complete lack of soul or grit, and are further hampered by bizarrely ineffective editing, art direction, and camera work.
I should note that Winters himself appears in a supporting role in his own movie. He was a dancer early in his career, with an impressive gig ("West Side Story") to his credit. So in this thing, he's the guru/mentor with a tragic backstory who dispenses Zen bromides about dance to our heroes. While he has charisma, he's as bad as everyone else. His dancing is fine - he's still admirably loose and fluid, although he appears so old and frail that I feared he might pull a ligament. But however earnest and reflective of his deepest beliefs his character might be, he's flat as a pancake. I felt bad for him.
You could do worse than watch this movie. And whatever else you say about it, it's cheerful and sunny. People who uncritically love dance movies in any form will probably never notice its problems. But for the rest of us, it's such a misfire that you'll probably not be able to finish it.