Rating: 
Summary: This is not Dirty Dancing--IT'S BETTER!!
Review: I skimmed through several reviews and kept seeing comparisons to Dirty Dancing. This movie can't even be compared to that!!! First of all, the dancing in SB moves the plot along, while in DD, it could be edited out and no one would know it was ever there. Secondly, this movie is the MASTERPIECE that DD is not and will never, ever be. Every thing about this movie is perfect--I especially love the chemistry between Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice. They really make Scott and Fran credible and believable characters. Being that this is a small movie, it really works--and that is probably why it is better than anything Hollywood has produced in some time. And charming extras to the movie-- Tara Morice sings the TIME AFTER TIME song that runs throughout some of the movie. Paul Mercurio did his own dancing--including adding additional choreography. (He was a former ballet dancer before making this movie as his acting debut.) There are many others, but I'll leave you to discover them.
Rating:
Summary: FUNNY, HEARTWARMING GEM THAT MAKES YOU WANNA DANCE:)
Review: Definitely one of my top 5 favorites! I love all the melodromatic acting, especially Scott's zany mom! Scott and Fran have excellent chemistry & the way their romance develops is completely believable. Loved the costumes, music, dancing, humor, just everything! Romantic comedies don't get any better than this. You'll absolutely, positively adore this if you're a romantic girl. Heck, even girly men will like it ;)
Rating:
Summary: Show me your paso doble!
Review: Many of the previous reviews here have given the basics of the plot, so I won't dwell on that. But what is it about this film that compels me to watch it again and again and again?I think it's because there are so many small truths revealed about human nature, especially why we make the decisions we make and how we justify them to ourselves. What makes people want to play it safe versus being different? And these themes are examined with great humor and obvious affection for the characters, even the "villains". Barry Fife's skewed toupee and Ken Railings romancing Liz in a floor model jacuzzi (right in the showroom!) make us laugh and show us that these people are hardly sinister, even though they take themselves very seriously in their insular little world. Although you could describe the story as having a very typical "ugly duckling turns into swan" storyline, I like the fact that Fran is actually really homely when we first see her. She isn't just an obviously drop-dead gorgeous woman wearing glasses. So her transformation comes more from within. As she gains confidence in herself and comes to be loved by Scott, the glow she exudes is totally believable. The scene where her father looks into her eyes and compliments her dancing is very moving, because you get the sense that it is maybe the first time he's ever even noticed her as a person in her own right. All in all, this is one of those movies that just makes you feel good when it's done. I certainly can't find anything wrong with that.
Rating:
Summary: Outrageous Humor, a True Hero, an Outstanding Film
Review: This is in the running for my favorite movie of all time. A beautiful, talented dancer finds himself bucking The Dancing Establishment in a story that is laugh-out-loud funny while it projects a hero for whom we can genuinely stand up and cheer. Cynics will call the characterizations here "caricatures" and the plot formulaic and contrived. It takes a more noble soul to recognize that these characters -- all of them -- are simply well-defined in the context of this touching, and, yes, "crowd-pleasing" flick. The story asks a serious question: Is Scott demeaning and destroying legitimate standards of dance -- or is he expanding the genre, introducing progress to an art form that has seen its more popular days? (You can probably surmise MY answer to that one. But see the movie, laugh, cry, cheer, and answer for yourself.) The villainy here is real, tangible, but it is a testament to the skillful storytelling (how much of it is the scriptwriter's and how much the director's?) that we laugh at these villains, that we are not asked seriously to believe that their evil might prevail over Scott's goodness. If you enjoyed the humor of Priscilla or Muriel's Wedding, you will likely laugh at this, too. And the dancing will simply take away what little of your breath remains after you've laughed and smiled yourself silly. Not a perfect film, but definitely a solid win for us Unreconstructed Romantics.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Dance Comedy Ever!
Review: Before I saw this, I had my doubts, I mean...a movie about ballroom dancing, how can it be good? Well believe me, this one is awesome! The soundtrack is super, the quotes (that was unexpected!) are hilarious, and the black comedy is over-the-top! The movie is like a mix of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Ferris Bueller's Day Off! It's almost too perfect! Watch this now!
Rating:
Summary: Where is the DVD?
Review: I waited way too long to see this wonderful movie! I love the characters and knowing nothing of ballroom dancing, I learned the time and dedication put into it. "A life lived in fear, is a life half lived" has now become my motto in life. Where is the DVD on this fabulous movie? I have worn out the VHS! Scott and Fran are two wonderful characters, especially Fran. You go girl!
Rating: 
Summary: By turns Charmed, Zany, Touching, and Frenetic
Review: Strictly Ballroom is a great little movie, lively and shot through with warmth despite some truly crazed, broad, caricaturish minor performances. If this were a novel I'd describe it as having a distinctively funny, charming, idiosyncratic voice, and recommend it to friends who need a kick in the pants to cheer up a little. The dance contest plot of the movie drags a lot of disparate stuff along in its wake. You have your extremely winning ungainly-girl-whose-spirit-makes-her-lovely story, and your immigrants-in-a-new-country side, and your redemption-after-many-years moments... None of that is new material, but it all comes together with total assurance in ways you wouldn't have been especially prepared for. All the elements are snappily handled, lively and enjoyable, and in some cases they're really pretty poignant too. Several of the minor characterizations are surprising and memorable. That's always a good sign, isn't it? Along the way, too, you get a bunch of infectiously funny situations and some wryly delightful direction. (The choreography doesn't stop on the dance floor, but it's great there too.) I wouldn't describe Strictly Ballroom as displaying any "new steps," cinematically; I'd just say it dances the familiar ones extremely well in new, lively combinations. Watch it and dance in the living room afterward.
Rating:
Summary: Do not miss this movie!
Review: A must see. Not only is the dancing worth watching, but the plot and whole moral of the story is timeless. Forget Dirty Dancing...see Strictly Ballroom!
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best
Review: What can you add to 39 comments about a movie, of which 37 award it five stars? It's taken me 8 years and 4 viewings to figure out that this unexplainably underexposed film is one of my top few e favorites of all time. If you're a dancer you'll love it. If you're a romantic, you'll want to buy it, and if you're anything else you still have about a 99.999% chance of enjoying it to the max anyway. Words fail. To say that this film is "well-done" or "uplifting" is so inadequate it's funny. It's the kind of movie you almost always finish with a BIG giddy smile on your face. I just this evening saw, in a local video bar, what must be one of the extra clips that'll be on the DVD. It brought back the whole euphoric mood of the movie, a movie I have now decided I must own. I hope I've made my point. ;)
Rating:
Summary: One thing no one else has mentioned...
Review: There is a magnificent moment in this film where the professional dancer (Paul Mercurio) is confronted with the REAL version of a dance he thinks he knows. He is struck by the passionate feeling that's injected into the dance by his partner's father. Suddenly he sees the shallow mockery that he has been dancing. This is a turning point in the film. I hope the report that this DVD will not be anamorphic is mistaken - this is one movie that should be projected as large as possible - there are things to see in the background (reactions of onlookers) that demand the greatest possible detail. Why should you buy this one? Because it is funny, uplifting, and ultimately triumphant. You will want to play this one more than once!
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