Better than most people think

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

This week I watched Baz Luhrmann's dramedy romance Strictly Ballroom (1992). The logline reads "A maverick dancer risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner." I was excited to see the movie that launched Luhrmann into larger things, and I was not disappointed. There are parts of the film where you see his early directing choices that improved with time and parts of the film where he does his Baz-y thing and treats our eyes to something rich, original and beautiful. The story definitely took some over-the-top liberties, but remembering this is cinema the eccentricness can be overlooked. Typical of a Luhrmann piece, the mother and one other female is a complete diva, while the true starlett is of a calmer, quieter, and arguably more "ladylike". The story was a playful, parts were silly, but the climax of the film was a great payoff. The acting was good, some actors were naturally stronger than others. Overall, the production values were good, there were a few shooting errors, and a lot of overused elements, but I think that directors get experience over time. I think this is apparent through his later films like The Great Gatsby (2013) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). I enjoyed this movie and can't believe that I waited so long to see it!

Long before the visually flamboyant director Baz Luhrmann gave us the blockbuster "Moulin Rouge", he made his debut with this quirky Aussie dancecom. The spirit of "Strictly Ballroom" is very campy, tongue-in-cheek and outright parodic, mercilessly skewering the pretentious world of ballroom dance competitions in a way that makes us wonder what planet this film was shot on.Immediately you might be reminded of the hilarious Christopher Guest mockumentaries (Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, etc), but Baz gives this production an extra little push over the cliff. Unapologetically departing from reality, he hits us with a hyper-saturated visual feast, coupled with the fact that the story is set in the 1970s, taking us to the edge of absurdist fantasy. The presentation is almost claustrophobic, in that the entire story takes place on basically just 3 sets: the dance school, the girl's home, and the competition arena), and yet the magnificent use of colorful sets, elegant camera work, and large spaces makes us feel like we're in some sort of bizarre Aussie Wonderland. That's the Terry Gilliam (Brazil) part.And if that blend isn't bizarre enough, get this. The plot itself is rooted in a very cute John Hughes-ish teen rebel story (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller), thus appealing to our inner misfit youth. The combination is a real treat, and if any of these elements interest you, I guarantee you'll have a wild ride.The dancing and choreography is absolutely stunning. Paul Mercurio ("Scott") definitely has moves that would make Fred Astaire tip his top hat, and Baz allows for a few long segments so we can take it all in. At the same time, the dance segments don't interrupt the pacing and flow of the story. Somehow it all blends together seamlessly. I have to say, dance, comedy and surrealism is an unlikely mix, but it comes together brilliantly. That's something I haven't seen since the days of Jerry Lewis directing."Strictly Ballroom" is one of the most entertaining and engaging movies about dancing I've ever seen. If you enjoy this flick, definitely check out "Razzle Dazzle", another hilarious Aussie dancecom, which also features the lovely Tara Morice ("Fran") but in a role I guarantee you wouldn't recognize her in if I hadn't told you.

I'm not a dancer myself but I'm a sucker for dance movie and Strictly Ballroom really delivers. I may have given it a perfect rating but it's not technically perfect (there are some low- budget/poor editing/non-sensical story gaps) but if you let go and enjoy the ride these things will just fade away. Set in a small town in Australia the film is about Scott Hastings, the son of the owners of a small dance studio that specializes in ballroom dancing. As the audience is repeatedly reminded, he's been training to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix since he was six years old and even though he's an open amateur, winning the title would assure his financial success as an instructor and a dancer. Unfortunately for his parents and their studio Scott may have the talent, but his heart is elsewhere. Bored with the same pre-approved dance steps he's been perfecting for years he starts experimenting his own non-federation approved steps which results in him losing competitions and his long-term dance partner. But more than willing to step into the void and encourage Scott to follow his heart is newbie dancer Fran, who despite her poor looks and minimal training convinces Scott to giver her a go as a partner. The tone of this film is what I've come to think of as Australian- weird which is cartoonish, wild and lots of fun. It has a much smaller budget than Lurmann's later films, but it contains the same sense of wonder, fun and musicality just on a smaller scale. All of the actors are fantastic but particularly wonderful is Paul Mercurio as Scott who really doesn't get enough credit for his work on the film. He nails every dance sequence which gets coasted over since he's a "dancer" but Mercurio was actually a ballerina who only had a few weeks to train in ballroom and sell the fact that he's an expert. To my untrained eye at least he completely nails it. Tara Morice really nails her role as the ugly duckling who becomes a swan and I really appreciated that Lurmann allows her to be not just plain but downright ugly in her earlier scenes before she gets the makeover that sells her as a romantic lead. Full of humour and heart this is a film I return to again and again.

With the recent upsurge in popularity in and broadcasting of all things Ballroom and dancing and stuff, it seems I'm the only one I know that can resist it - and quite easily, at that.All that forced preening, pirouetting and showing off leaves me cold. Baz Lurhmann's debut film, Strictly Ballroom, however, at least actually gets me looking at the screen and not my toes.Whilst not getting quite as enraptured by its sparkly magic as much as some folk - and many critics, it is the story and the very human one at that shines through. Everyone who has a single DNA in their bodies that gives them an ounce of heart and compassion will soon appreciate this modern fairytale.Some of the styles are rather alarming, both in hair and fashion but that now adds to the film's charm and keeps the metabolism slightly uneven. Strangely, to me, it looks a little older than the 20 years that it is.For the rest of the population who do enjoy "Strictly" and those other shows will undoubtedly lap this one up. Not only do you get the swirly moves but a beautiful story, too.