just watch it!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

You know what? I'm staying off the message boards on this one because I'm not looking to get into the debate over why this film is so poorly rated on IMDb. It does confuse me to hear those classing it "worst film ever" discussing it as generic and bland, nothing but a version of countless other films – so why, if it is so bland and generic is it in the IMDb bottom 100 at the time of writing? I'll let others say "racism" because I don't think it is that – although I do think that it is perhaps a cultural thing. I've never really understood the whole idea of "krunking" or "stepping" or whatever it is called (whenever us white people know a slang word it immediately changes!) and would struggle not to feel silly if I was to do it. However I do love the b-boy stuff and breaking and there is a fine line between them.Why this culture of impressive dance moves and physical discipline is mocked by the mainstream while cheerleading is seen as an All-American experience I'm not sure – again I'll leave it to the boards to debate whether it is racism or just a cultural thing but it is odd that this film is rather lower than things similar. I say this because I do not see a massively poor film – and trust me, I have seen some massively poor films in my time and I do not see how IMDb users can rate this lower than the significantly worse "You Got Served". Now don't get me wrong because I'm not building myself up to a gushing review full of praise, because this film is not brilliant – it is just not anywhere near as bad as people say, in fact it is OK.The plot is fairly straightforward and generic but it benefits from having a lead character that I cared about in Raya. Her situation is obvious and I won't defend the sweep of the film because it does tread a genre path but it is made better by several things. First and foremost the dance routines are very good. They are not the hyper-edited promo pieces of You Got Served but are presented in small clubs, bare stages and with a clean approach from camera that allows us to see what is happening. I'm not sure why they cannot be appreciated for what they are but I really enjoyed them and found myself exclaiming "wow" involuntarily several times towards the end. OK visually the rest of the film is quite basic, this comes with the budget and it is not "ugly" so much as it is more television standard than cinema.The second selling point is Wesley's turn as Raya. Here we have an actress and a character who is not really the best choice if you are making a genre film. She is smart, doesn't talk street and, to be frank, is very dark skinned. Put it another way – she is not the person I would want to be marketing the film off the back of. However what she can do is emote convincingly and I found her acting chops to be just as good as her moves (which are good). She is charismatic and engaging and she covers for the many clichés surrounding her. Armstrong isn't as good nor did I need Davis and Cole turning up as themselves but these are the type of things that make the film "OK" rather than good.How She Move is not Citizen Kane but it is not the worst film ever made either. Yes it is a genre film and it is weaker than I would like in regards plot and writing but it is still an OK film. The dance moves are impressive and well delivered and Wesley emotes well in delivering a believable and sympathetic character, which made all the difference to me.

I was a bit scared to watch this movie due to its rates. But living in Italy titles like this never ever come across and I love step so much that I decided to give it try. And how surprised I was! The story is different from any other dance-movie I've seen lately, with a deeper meaning than just "winning". It's touching and well written and well directed. Raya is such a strong character, I love the fact that she never doubts herself, she's so mature and focused and AWARE of her TALENT (and what talent Rutina Wesley has, my jaw dropped in the final dance scene). The way she pursues her dream and refuses to let anything stop her is, honestly, inspiring. Also, the fact that she's not the typical super-hot chick (see Jessica Alba, Briana Evigan, Jenna Dewan, Zoe Seldana...) makes her really appealing and real. Seriously, why is this movie rated so low? You can understand between the first 5 minutes that it's a good work. Really good actually. I even cried at the end of the movie. And the dancing routines are just sick.

Dance films, however clichéd and corny they may be, have an energy and vibe to them that transcends the need for a rock solid plot line. Things are no different in "How She Move," except that the performances and atmosphere of the picture are more captivating than most contemporary dance films.After the drug-overdose induced death of her older sister, Raya (Rutina Wesley) is haunted by the accident and her grief takes over her life and choices throughout the film. Her sister's death left her family in financial ruins, and this forces Raya to leave her elite private school for a far grittier public school in Jane Finch-Corridor, Toronto. She had the opportunity to get a scholarship that could get her back into her private school, a chance she destroyed, and now her only option is to earn the money to get back into the school on her own terms.As Raya drifts further into the world that took the life of her sister, being a world of drugs, alcohol and partying, she still clashes with a few who believe her to be nothing more than a snob. Her main clash is with tough girl Michelle (Tre Armstrong), which eventually leads to a number of unplanned dance-offs, using her undeniable step skills to break out.Her mother (Melanie Nicholls-King) urges her to focus on her studies and Raya keeps the fact that she blew her scholarship exam a secret. She continues focusing her attention on dance, ignoring her mother's warnings.She sets her sights on the all-male dance crew, JSJ, of which her good friend Bishop (Dwain Murphy), is a member of. JSJ are heading towards the "Step Monster" dance competition in Detroit and the winners would walk away with a rather large cash prize ($50, 000). Step teams and competitions are extremely sexist, and while Raya's decision to join JSJ may isolate her from her fellow female steppers, the only way for her to get the kind of recognition she needs is to join a male team. When she clashes with Bishop, she is forced to leave JSJ for a rival team that has less chance of winning the top prize, only to return to JSJ for the finale showdown. It is not my intention to spoil any of the highly predictable details, but this kind of information comes standard with any dance-minded film.The magnetic and expertly choreographed dance routines are not mindlessly implemented to distract from the story, we are given time to understand the performers first and learn what makes them tick. Dancing comes second. The film's script, which reworks many worn out plot points into a thing of urgency, is invested in exploring the interactions and relationships of the, very often confined, characters far more than the usual one-dimensional examination this genre usually steeps to.The performances in the film are most surprising, with newcomer Rutina Wesley giving an admirable turn that serves as the anchor of the story. She is convincing and energetic, not only in her dancing. Her demonstration of how easily Raya's emotions fluctuate is powerful, and her body language is expertly defined. Melanie Nicholls-King and Conrad Coates give small but heart-warming and moving portrayals as Raya's parents, giving the film its rewarding sense of family values, but not only biological family, also the connections the dancers share with each other, especially the confrontations between Raya and Michelle.This is a dance film that just happens to be better than most others in the genre. It is an untidy and flawed film, and its faults, including the majority of the film's seemingly forced dialogue, are obvious. Director Ian Iqbal Rashid cleverly attempts to stay away from clichéd devices and story arcs (he is not always successful), infusing breathtaking choreography with resonant human interaction, that makes How She Move somewhat weighty and somewhat enjoyable, but nothing more.

This film represents every aspiring Canadian performance artist's dream- the chance to be noticed in the United States. To facilitate this ambition, all levels of Canadian Government funnel huge amounts of money to Canadian talent so that they can create vehicles to hock their wares south of the border. Nevermind that the work itself seldom represents the land or the people it comes from."How She Move" is a curious creature, a Canadian film that actually doesn't try to be set in America, or be about Americans. Notice my choice of words, though- it is an absence of a negative, not an outright positive. Even though Brooklin and Baltimore are mentioned directly by name, and a large section of the film is set (though not filmed) in Detroit, the only references to Canada are oblique: "T-Dot" "Scarborough" and "Jane Street Junta". Too bad the average American film-goer has no idea what those terms mean.Even the one shot of Canadian money is the backside of our $20.00 bill, the one Canadian banknote that is the same colour as the US Greenback.The settings are generic North American urban ghetto, with the high irony of the actual Jane-Finch corridor exterior shots not being gritty enough to pretend they have street cred, so the film crew travels to Hamilton Ontario to ramp up the film's "ghettoness". Not one exterior establishing shot to proudly proclaim "This is Canada".At least the interior shots of the characters homes are authentic and ring true to some tenements in the Jane-Finch area.The film even downplays the Caribbean origins of most of the characters, but not to any degree that it downplays its Canadian-ness. But, "downplay" is not "ignore" and there are many subtle references that only someone familiar with the Caribbean colony in Toronto would understand. And I use the phrase "Caribbean Colony" with deliberate purpose.The story itself is generic to many American films of the same ilk. It is still a valid story, in a sense, since various methods of uplift have always been aspirations of marginalized communities. It is as true in Toronto as any other city in North America.And the story is told with uncommon passion and integrity, from the characters' and actors' levels.What really shines in this film is the showcase of Toronto talent. To be sure, all this talent would love to kiss Canada goodbye for a lucrative career in the U.S., but they grew up here, and here is where they are currently shining! That too is part of Canadian culture, but no American would understand that.To my American friends, I mean no slight- I personally think you are big enough to embrace a true Canadian story if it has the production values that you are used to in your cinema. The mavens in Hollywood are so conservative though that you continue to get spoon-fed pap, and only rarely are you served true art with a degree of risk attached. When films have to make back a $150 Million budget, the owners of that money tend to be risk adverse! This film is getting a wide release in the United States. MTV Films has had a hand in it's financing or distribution, hence the reason why its Canadian-ness is being downplayed. But, in 2008, this is the best Canada can do in bringing its stories to you...by making them seem like YOUR stories.What a timid little country Canada is! Couldn't any of my tax money put one Canadian flag in a scene? A real TTC bus? A shot of CW Jefferies Collegiate? A Jane Street or Driftwood Avenue street sign? How much risk is there in that?