Shall We Dance (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: How Will It Compare to Perfection?
Review: "Shall We Dance?" (2004) is a remake of the superb Japanese musical dance comedy which was released in the U.S. in 1997. This new version stars Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci. There's not a chance in the universe that this new version will be better than the Japanese classic, which was just about as perfect as any film has ever been, ever. But I'll definitely go to see the new one, only because it probably will be very enjoyable to compare the two versions, and any dance film is better than none. Plus I think I'll really enjoy the new one--it's just that I KNOW it could never approach the Japanese original, for many reasons. Sure, they'll try to adapt the screenplay to American customs and vernaculars, but many charming nuances of the original will be lost because it will not take place in Japan, and the original was really about how the Japanese are relating to something very Western and alien, ballroom dance. If you want, you can go to Hollywood.com and watch the preview to the new version. Just type in Shall We Dance? in the Search field. The preview is pretty good. I will enjoy the film, but I strongly urge you to buy a copy of the original "Shall We Dance?" here on Amazon, and also go to the "Shall We Dance?"(Japan) Amazon DVD page and vote to have it released on DVD. It's a crime this hasn't happened yet! (I gave this American version 4 stars, because I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, also based on the preview I saw).

Rating:
Summary: Middle Age Crisis Takes a Joyful Swing in Remake...
Review: Accommodating someone else can be helpful to maintain peace, happiness, and joy in a relationship, but it can also affect the person in a relationship negatively. Many find themselves sinking into a mundane lifestyle while being helpful toward their partner, which often is the result of meeting the partner halfway. This routine can turn into a monotonous journey where the person in the relationship could forget personal joy in the pursuit of keeping the partner happy. Sometimes this leads to a break up, or divorce, as the person seeks alternative ways outside the relationship to find a route back to personal happiness in life.

In Shall We Dance the audience finds the estate lawyer John Clark (Richard Gere) pondering existential purpose in life. Often John thinks about life and his existence, as he reflects over previous meetings with clients due to someone's written will. This pondering often takes place on the "L", which is the local train system within the Chicago area. Recently has John's contemplations drifted toward happiness, which his wife Beverly (Susan Sarandon) prompted after having celebrated one of his middle age birthdays with his family.

John is not unhappy, but he feels that there is something missing -- something better in life. One evening on his way home on the "L" he sees a woman standing by a window. Intrigued by the woman's face he keeps seeking her every evening with his eyes on the way home from work. He notices that the woman stands in a dance studio and one day he musters up enough courage to visit it.

John enters the dance studio gazing at the mysterious woman, who he later finds out is named Paulina (Jennifer Lopez). In the dance studio John is pushed into taking ballroom-dancing lessons through which he meets Chic (Bobby Cannavale) and Vern (Omar Benson Miller). They all have different motives to take dance lessons, but the theme is the same as they all are there because of an attractive partner. Vern is getting married and wants to impress his fiancé while Chic wants to use his skills in dancing to impress the girls. However, as they learn how to take the proper steps, they also find out that dance is something sensual, expressive, and artistic.

Secretively John continues to dance as he pursues Paulina, however, Beverley is getting suspicious, as he appears more joyful. Beverly hires a private detective to find out what John is doing that is making him so happy, as she suspects that he might be having an affair. One evening when John advances on Paulina, she expresses firmly that she does not see students. Mildly hurt John decides not to go back to the studio, but against his decision he returns to the dance studio, as it actually appears to bring him joy.

The story is directed by Peter Chelsom who also made Serendipity (2001) and Funny Bones (1995), but this time he is making a remake. Shall We Dance turns out to be another Japanese story, as the big production companies in Hollywood have recently decided to turn to the east for new material. This has given the audience films such as Ring (2002) and Grudge (2004). The tradition to make remake is not new in Hollywood, as Three Men and a Baby originated from France while Last Man Standing was based on Kurosawa's story Yojimbo (1961). The question is whether the audience needs to see remakes, which might be argued from both sides of the issue. Nevertheless, Shall We Dance provides a good cinematic experience, which offers joyful tears and cheering laughter. The film gives a Western version of this story, and it still provides valuable lessons in regards to family, happiness, and self-actualization.

Rating:
Summary: Made me want to take ballroom dancing
Review: As soon as i got out i turned to my friend saying.. I WANT TO BALLROOM DANCE. This is slightly cheesey but honestly what jennufer lopez movies arent? i thought that they could have replaced JLO and got a better actress with not as tight clothes. Though i LOVED Richard Gere and Susan Surandan... PERFECT chemestry. Loved the movie all in all... and excellent ending. I would love to see the movie again!

Rating:
Summary: An original all its own
Review: Glad I never saw the earlier version of this movie and have no bias in comparison. This is a excellent movie with middle age stars! It makes me want to dance and live. If you want to escape the cheap thrills of Hollywood and see a movie about real people, this is the movie for you. It is refreshing to see a movie where the characters are actually good people for a change, instead of twisted souls going through predictable mid-life crisis. I am tired of all the men flicks about their self absorbed mid-life crisis. This one, however, is actually good. Why do men think their mid-life crisis is of interest to the rest of us? Would anyone want to see a movie about the perils of menopause? At least it would be a fresh idea. Buy this movie and watch it with the love of your life. Then, go dancing together and let it lead you to each other.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I enjoyed the Japanese original very much, so I was curious to see how this remake would turn out. I was disappointed. The original version was subtle - interesting things happening in the background, great characters. The remake is not nuanced. Do Americans need to be hit over the head with a bat to understand things? Susan Sarandon's performance was very broad at times, almost a caricature. Jennifer Lopez seemed angry at the world, and it wasn't appealing. Richard Gere played Richard Gere.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but pales in comparison to the original version.
Review: I feel the original Japanese version of "Shall We Dance" had much more depth to the characters and the ballroom dancing sequences were much more elaborate as the actors actually appeared skilled in their dancing (not so much in the remake). I would highly recommend seeing the original to see what this remake was lacking.

The newer version with Richard Gere and J-Lo had a lot of quick editing in the dance sequences and the dancing did not seem as refined. Also Stanley Tucci's role was cute, but his counterpart in the original, Mr. Aoki was downright hilarious. I hope Hollywood stops trying to remake Asian movie hits....Tortilla Soup was very watered down compared to the original "Eat Man, Drink Woman" and the Hollywood version of "Shall We Dance" shows many "missed steps" compared to the original.

Rating:
Summary: Shall We Dance?
Review: I never saw the earlier version of this movie, but it can't be better than this one. It will make you want to get up and dance. Richard Gere is great in all his movies and this is one of his best yet!

Rating:
Summary: Cheesy
Review: I'd actually give this one 2 1/2 stars, because there were a lot of enjoyable parts to this film; plenty of laughs and good dancing scenes. Predictable plot, bad acting, cheesy script, and cheesier music make it not so good. Jennifer Lopez might as well have been a cardboard cutout for how much personality she shows in the movie. What happened to the girl we fell in love with in The Wedding Planner??!!! Aside from one scene of great dancing and a few other likable dances she spends the rest of the movie trying too hard to look sad. Way to many shots of her staring out windows looking calculatedly pathetic. Is she supposed to be tragic and mysterious?? I'm not sure. The supporting characters are what make this movie worthwhile, not the two big stars, I've never cared much for Richard Gere anyway.

Rating:
Summary: "I just want to dance!"
Review: Shall We dance?, is about an ordinary, affable, and loving man who reaches for ballroom dancing in order to find love. There's no doubt that the movie is traditional, contrived and generic Hollywood entertainment, but parts of Shall We Dance are surprisingly good, particularly in its light-hearted and more jocular moments. The movie is driven by a surprisingly infectious energy, and a kind of innocence, that is both admirable and also rather endearing. The movie really succeeds when it's not taking itself too seriously, but the movie suffers terribly, and unfortunately becomes a rather syrupy, sickly mess when the heavy-handed marital polemics take center stage.

The adorable Richard Gere plays John Clark, a devoted, genial and easygoing Chicago lawyer who's happily married to Beverly (played by the sassy, overly busy Susan Sarandon). Lately John has been discontented - he's financially successful, has to picture-perfect children, a beautiful home, and a devoted wife, but there's still something missing. Until one night he glances up from his commuter train and sees the sad, beautiful face of Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) gazing out of the window of the seedy, but colourful Miss Mitzi's Ballroom Dancing Studio. With uncharacteristic impulsiveness, John jumps out and signs up for classes.

At Miss Mitzi's he meets his fellow students Vern, a shy, chubby, young African-American (Omar Benson Miller), and Chic (a great Bobby Cannavale), a macho low-rent playboy who says he's learning to dance to meet girls. John soon learns to spring the tango and the waltz, and begins to develop an attraction to Paulina. But Paulina is a sad woman, an ex-ballroom champion who for unspecified reasons has lost her partner and lover, and remains cold, icy and unavailable. John conceals the news of his evening activities from Beverly, who begins to suspects he's having an affair. In a fit of desperation, she hires a teasing private detective (Richard Jenkins) to investigate.

The central problem with the story is that it's essentially preposterous that John would hide his newfound hobby from his family. He's absolutely devoted to them, so concealing his nighttime activities from them just doesn't make any dramatic sense. This comes across as a silly, contrived plot device, which, later on in the story, just gives John and Beverly an excuse to rediscover the joys of marriage and emotionally reconnect. Besides this, Shall We Dance is still pretty good, sassy fun for the first hour, particularly until the regional ballroom dancing competition. After this however, it steadily goes downhill and right into second-rate sitcom territory.

The supporting players steal the show with the impressive Stanley Tucci, as John's co-worker and closet ballroom champ mincing manfully in a scary wig and form fitting pants. Lisa Ann Walter is also riotous as Bobbie, a brash, tough, wisecracking waitress and dance-contest veteran whom John ends up partnering in the local tournament. Susan Sarandon, however, is pretty much wasted in her role - the comedic scenes between her and Richard Jenkins are overacted and overwrought. Jennifer is fun when she's not grimacing in controlled angst, and Richard Gere is always worth watching. There are also some nice dance sequences, particularly one scene where Richard and Jennifer sizzle together in a sweaty, hot scorching tango; it's not so much sexual, but more a re-awakening of their long buried fire within. Mike Leonard February 05.


Rating:
Summary: Potentially A Great Movie!!
Review: This is a potentially a great movie about a bored Chicagolawyer(Richard Gere)who takes ballroom dancing lessons with his instructor (Jennifer Lopez), whose wife (Susan Sarandon)suspects him cheating on her.This movie's plot is similar to the superb original Japanese version made a few years ago.It should be very well watching,when it's released!!