best movie i've ever seen.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Gambling dancer Lucky (Fred Astaire) is tricked into missing his wedding by his friends, who don't want him to get married. To get a second chance, he promises his fiancée's father that he can earn $25,000. He heads to New York where he meets dance instructor Penny (Ginger Rogers). The two hit it off and form a successful dance team. They even start to fall for each other. But Lucky's engagement and Penny's orchestra leader suitor get in the way of their romance.Considered by many to be Fred & Ginger's best, it's definitely in the top two or three for me. The dance routines are wonderful. The Kern/Fields songs, like "The Way You Look Tonight," "Pick Yourself Up," and "Never Gonna Dance," are exceptional. The comedy is fun and the romance enjoyable. Fred and Ginger are both extremely likable. Ginger's pretty as ever with a good wardrobe, including one especially sexy dress that reveals more cleavage than usual for her. Victor Moore plays the part of Fred's older best friend, a role that would have went to Edward Everett Horton in earlier movies. Some say he's irritating but I thought he was fine. Fun support from Helen Broderick as Ginger's pal. Eric Blore is amusing in a small role. Georges Metaxas plays the other guy in love with Ginger and he's the one weak link in the cast. The "Bojangles" tribute to Bill Robinson was meant with respect but the use of blackface won't sit well with many modern viewers. Still, if you're able to look past this, you'll find it's a lively number with some good dancing from Fred. It's a great movie; the kind they don't make anymore. If you've never seen an Astaire & Rogers movie before, this is as good a place to start as any.

The music in "Swing Time" is excellent: A collection of really beautiful songs. Add to that some of the best partner dancing (and choreography) of all time and the result is a an excellent film where the dance numbers actually drive the film.When you watch "Swing Time", you realize that the storyline is entertaining, but rather simple. But the dance numbers are dramatic, emotional, uplifting, and inspired. In fact, they communicate the story and the emotions of the two primary characters more than their words.The climactic dance number ("Never Gonna Dance") says it all. The choreography conveys the love, the heartbreak, and the disappointment of Lucky (Fred Astaire) and Penny (Ginger Rogers) despite the fact that they cannot voice their feelings. This is a remarkable accomplishment. No wonder so many consider this to be the best film pairing of this amazing dance team.Ginger herself named "Swing TIme" as her favorite of all her films. This was due to a number of factors. Firstly, she felt that director George Stevens "had an incredible sensitivity to an actress playing a scene." Secondly, she thought the score by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields was "scrumptious". Thirdly, through her costumer, Bernard Newman, she was able to realize her "dream" dress for the "Waltz in Swing Time" number, and said "I can never emphasize enough how important clothing was to me." "Never Gonna Dance" was the last dance number in the film. Ginger reports that it took 48 takes and they finished at 4:00 A.M. Complications--besides the demanding choreography--included an arc light going out, a noise in the camera, and Fred's toupe falling off. During one break, Ginger took her shoes off and found that her shoes "were filled with blood".

SWING TIME contains the usual mix of ingredients characteristic of an Astaire-Rogers vehicle: a creaky script, slick one-liners, a slew of character-roles and above all the song and dance sequences. What makes George Stevens' film so memorable is the quality of the score with at least three Kern standards: "Pick Yourself Up," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "A Fine Romance."Astaire never had a great singing voice; he delivers Kern's gorgeous lyrics in an agreeable contralto, even though sometimes he tends to slide into the top notes. Likewise Rogers' vocal capacities are just above competent. However the two of them are quite magical in their dance-routines: mostly shot in a single take, they show the pair of them in perfect unison gliding across the dance-floor, while keeping the viewers' attention totally focused on their steps. No couple could ever perform with such style and grace as these two; even after nearly seven decades, their routines are unbelievable.Astaire has a solo routine where he performs in black-face as a tribute to Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson. To contemporary viewers, this sequence might seem offensive, but we have to view it in context. 1936 was the year when James Whale's SHOW BOAT was also filmed (with another score by Kern and Oscar Hammerstein III), with Paul Robeson's memorable vocal rendition of "Ol' Man River," a melancholy depiction of the African American's life in the pre-Civil Rights era. Black face routines were considered a legitimate component of vaudeville and/or musical shows.The supporting performances are memorable - as they always were in the Astaire/Rogers films. Helen Broderick and Victor Moore enjoy their opportunities to exchange banter, and are especially funny in one sequence where they start to laugh uncontrollably at Astaire's marital troubles. Eric Blore has a cameo role as a dance academy owner; he doesn't have much to do, but he at least has the chance to go through his range of exasperated facial expressions as he tries to maintain his authority over Rogers and Broderick. Georges Metaxa has a thankless role as the Latin lover Rocky Romero, who has to endure the indignity of his pants almost falling down at the end as he tries to conduct the orchestra.As with all the best Astaire/Rogers vehicles, SWING TIME is tautly constructed, with the plot zipping along at a cracking pace, while allowing plenty of time for dance routines. Forget the script, with its meaningful verbal introductions to the songs; just enjoy the dance.

The story, like with most Fred and Ginger films, is not Swing Time's best asset, it does come across as contrived, though it also has a charming and cute edge to it. That however doesn't matter so much, when so much in fact everything else is done so well. Swing Time is another Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic, and a very close second best to Top Hat. The sets and photography are very lavish and beautiful to look at(Ginger's wardrobe likewise), the most audacious and sophisticated of all the Fred and Ginger films. Jerome Kern's score and songs are also outstanding, The Way You Look Tonight, A Fine Romance, Pick Yourself Up and especially Never Gonna Dance are all classics, and while it is understandable why some won't like it and find it jarring Bojangles of Harlem is at least catchy. There's nothing to complain about in the dancing either, the standout is easily Never Gonna Dance, just perfection in every meaning of the word and Fred and Ginger probably haven't done a dance more beautiful or emotionally moving. It in particular shows off Astaire's effortless grace and style perfectly. The choreography has a lot of spirit and pizazz, done with an appropriately light touch as well as touches of the dramatic. The script is good-natured and amusing, with some sweet parts too. Special mention should also go to the dialogue scene preceding Never Gonna Dance which is very poignant, maybe the most poignant dialogue scene of any of their films. Fred and Ginger are delightful together, and play their characters with great charm. Victor Moore acts with energy and enthusiasm, but one does wish there was much more of Eric Blore. In conclusion, once you get past the story Swing Time is a wonderful film. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox