Strictly Ballroom | Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice

Strictly Ballroom | Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice | Great film, a splendid fable

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Cinderella (Walt D... The Lovin' Spoonfu... The Broadcast Tape... Cantatas Strictly Ballroom

	Strictly Ballroom Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice average customer review:based on 218 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

While the plot of this Australian film may seem a bit familiar (The Ugly Duckling meets Dirty Dancing), the whimsical tone and superb dance sequences will make you forget the movie's predictability. Scott (Paul Mercurio) is a champion ballroom dancer who wants to dance "his own steps." Fran is the homely, beginning dancer who convinces Scott that he should dance his own steps... with her. Complicating matters are Scott's domineering mother (Pat Thompson), a former dancer herself, who wants her son to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championship (the same contest she lost years ago), and a conniving dance committee that is determined that "there are no new steps!" The dancing is enjoyable, yet not overwhelming, and the movie strives hard not to take itself too seriously (the beginning of the film is even styled as a pseudo-documentary). Strictly Ballroom, while not so subtly imparting its moral ("A life lived in fear is a life half-lived"), is a laughable romp that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. --Jenny Brown

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Strickly Ballroom

If you love dancing this is a great movie to watch just for the dancing. But it's funny as well! A Cinderella story, warms the heart.

Great film, a splendid fable

(Five stars for the film, three for the DVD quality). I first watched this movie in the 1990s (taped from Bravo) and loved this movie so much that I watched it eight times in one week. Every time I see this film, it makes me very happy. It's a light-hearted fable about letting go of fear, living your own path regardless of what others think. To be honest, I think it's the best of his "red curtain trilogy" (Romeo and Juliet and Mulan Rouge). I k

Although the storyline is fantastic, the DVD is lacking. There are no extras. It would helped had there been an interview with Baz Luhrman about this movie, or with members of the cast, etc;. The only "extras" are the "sneak peeks" at the studio's new films. Blah. Also, I think that the picture and sound quality need to be remastered.

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Strictly Ballroom

I had seen this movie on TV twice, but never in its entirety. I was happy to have found it available at Amazon.com. I can now watch it anytime.

Brings a smile to your face!

If you like choreography, dancing, and smiling... this movie might be for you. I saw Strictly Ballroom when it first came out and since then I have owned the VHS and now DVD version... I love watching it every once in a while when I just want to smile and have fun! Also, some of the choreography used is awesome...

It takes two to rumba

Baz Luhrmann made a splash with his sparkling musical "Moulin Rouge," but before that film, he made a little splash with the colorful romantic dance film "Strictly Ballroom." It lacks the polish of his later works, but romantics will love the ugly-duckling love story.

Scott (Paul Mercurio) shatters a ballroom dancing contest when he suddenly breaks from routine and begins dancing his own exuberant steps. His mother (Pat Thompson) is shattered, and his diva dance partner (a very made-up Gia Carides) drops him for a champion. But Scott still wants to dance his own steps, not the rigidly prescribed ballroom dances -- even if it means he won't win.

As he's dancing, plain Fran (Tara Morice) appears in the dance studio and begs Scott to take her as his partner -- she loved his dancing, and she wants to dance with him, even if they won't win. At first he refuses, but then he starts teaching her to dance at night. And despite the interference of potential partners and irate families, the two begin to fall in love -- and dance to set the floor on fire.

The story is extremely simple, so much so that at times it starts repeating itself. Okay, we have the free-spirit-learns-to-be-true-to-himself, plus an ugly-duckling-falls-for-a-swan story. But it's the execution that is charming, full of color and fire and outstanding dancing. And its simplicity keeps it from feeling rushed, although the complications late in the film seem rather contrived.

Luhrmann is known for his use of color and textured scenery, and it doesn't fail him here -- though some scenes are relatively bland, he throws in splashes of red and flashing lights, such as the giant Coke sign that flashes behind the dance partners. The ballroom competition is a spectacular opener. And the choreography is outstanding -- the actors exude sensuality and sexiness, mingled with a sort of worldly innocence.

Paul Mercurio is an okay actor, but a spectacular dancer. It's impossible to see him dance (a mix of Latin dance, Riverdance, and breakdance) without feeling a thrill. Tara Morice, with less spectacular dancing, is excellent as the plain, awkward Fran. The secondary characters like diva dancer Liz and stage mother Shirley tend to be two-dimensional. The exception is Barry Otto as Scott's dad, who dances his own wild moves when no one is watching.

"Strictly Ballroom" is a sweet, sensuous story about being true to oneself, about love, and about how "a life lived in fear is a life half lived." A rough-edged gem.

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