Rating: 
Summary: Great Fun Movie
Review: This is a great movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Rather than tell the plot or actors I would like to comment on other attributes. I bought a copy of this film on laserdisc 8 years ago and it has become the most watched film in my collection. Why, you might ask? As an owner of a home theater for years this movie contains one of the best soundtracks and some of the most visual stunning sceens that I have seen combined in a movie. If you haven't watched Strictly Ballroom on a good home theater system your missing half the fun. Due to the immenent extinction of the laserdisc format I have anxiously awaited for its release on DVD. I wasn't disappointed. The Dolby Digital soundtrack has one of the best mixes todate. The video is as clean as the laserdisc version. Not all is perfect; the skin tones at times can be attrocious due to set lighting, as was the case on the laserdisc, but when the lighting is correct it's a visual treat.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know what people like about this movie.
Review: Its loud, ugly and abrasive with characters who all seem to be seriously values challenged - even the ones we are supposed to be rooting for. Yucky, nasty and sentimental at the same time. Luhrmann was clearly born without taste buds."Moulin Rouge" had it's points of interest - but was also astoundingly bad in so many ways, and I gave up on "Romeo + Juliet" about halfway through.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great first movie from the director of Moulin Rouge
Review: "Strictly Ballroom" reminds me of a Hercules episode I saw once. I am sure "Strictly Ballroom" was part of the inspiration for the show. In Hercules there is a town where everything revolves around dancing, ballroom dancing to be specific. However, the judge demands that everyone uses only approved dance steps. A young girl refuses and wants to dance her own steps. She is banished from the studio and is without a partner for the big competition. Enter Hercules who agrees to dance with her. The awkward young girl becomes a graceful dancer and they win the competition and the love of the audience.
Everything is virtually the same for "Strictly Ballroom." The town is crazy about ballroom dancing, improvisation is frowned upon, their is an awkward girl that becomes a graceful dancer, the loss of a partner and the moral of the story, be true to your heart. Here though the star of the show is Scott Hastings. His wild crowd pleasing dance steps have lost him a big dance title. His partner dumps him for someone else and he is without a partner with only three weeks to go till the big championship dance. Enter the awkward girl. Fran has only been dancing for two years, but believes in the importance of letting the music flow through you. They partner up and win or lose vow to show the dance world a thing a two. While bringing out the best in each other, they fall in love. They also uncover the surprising truth about Scott's Father as well as showing how cutthroat the dancing world can be.
"Strictly Ballroom" is not as visually catching as "Moulin Rouge" The story is a bit clichés, but the actors give the story such heart that you can over look it. Furthermore the actor portraying Scott's dad is hilariously tragic. The pacing keeps the audience involved with the stories. The only piece of criticism is that we don't learn much about Fran's heritage, her family or why dancing is so important to her. She simply wants to dance, and dance with Scott. Other than that the film is pleasure to watch....
Rating:
Summary: Captures the heart and incites it to soar.
Review: There's more than love in the air in "Strictly Ballroom," Australian director Baz Luhrmann's energetic and exciting tale of love among the dance steps that does everything but jump off the screen. The film is essentially a fashion show put to a beat, but it proves itself as more than just a glorious wallow in stylish excess with its love-conquers-all story and themes that, despite their familiarity, feel as good as new. It's a simple tale of whimsy, focusing on young dancer Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), whose looks and talent have secured him a future as the world's most revered dancer. We see in the film's beginning, through a fanciful documentary-like series of interviews and dance events, that Scott dabbles in his own style, creating his own crowd-pleasing moves in spite of the disapproval of his mother and highly regarded judges, who consider his technique a threat to their "strictly ballroom" approach. Everyone that surrounds him pleads with him to give up his boyish dreams; his teacher, Les Kendall (Peter Whitford), feels his apprentice has unrealized potential that would be squandered were he to continue his imaginative steps, while his mother, Shirley (Pat Thompson), wants to steer her son from the same mistakes she made years ago. Scott's father, Doug (Barry Otto), secretly harvests a similar passion for originality, that which will come into play as the movie progresses. Despite this barrage of protestations, Scott knows better, and holds true to his own heart, continuing his private dancing in his teacher's studio when no one is looking. He is approached by Fran (Tara Morice), a simple girl with a plain demeanor and an equal longing to dance as she pleases. Scott, at first hesitant at her proposal that they dance together in preparation for a grand contest, agrees to teach her; as you may well know, they develop a deeper bond than love of dancing. Sound familiar? Well, it is, actually. The plot reminded me numerous times of various films, such as "Dirty Dancing," with its various characters denouncing Scott's dancing, and a pastiche of various fairy tale romances, as the two young lovers encounter obstacles in the way of their happiness. But, when filtered through Luhrmann's wondrous ability to make the old seem new and exquisite, such familiar plot characteristics are given new life, and possess the ability to move us, and excite us. And speaking of exciting, when was the last time such energy and humor as this was seen? Luhrmann has quite the visionary eye, and puts it to incredible use, assaulting us with a visceral array of tightly-choreographed dance sequences, vibrant costumes, and a sense of humor and wit that stays with the film through its entire. Accompanying these attributes are young actors Mercurio and Morice, who sell us on the love story so well that its hard not to feel a sense of urgency when things look stormy for the two. At various points in "Strictly Ballroom," the audience is given two options: surrender to the film's pseudo-realistic central message ("A life lived in fear is a life half lived"), or flee. Luhrmann throws so much of this into the mix of song, dance, love and ribaldry, that some may find it distracting, but make no mistake: such elements span the gamut of past and present, achieving a universal feel that almost anyone can relate to. This is a truly remarkable film, a special piece of fancy that captures the heart and incites it to soar.
Rating:
Summary: Fearless beginning to a fascinating trio of love fables
Review: Although this, the first of Baz Luhrmann's triptych of "Red Curtain" movies, lacks the flashy special effects of Moulin Rouge (the third), it is emotionally the most honest and engaging of the three. (The middle film, Romeo and Juliet, is the weakest, silliest, and downright boring.) But what's clear from Strictly Ballroom is that Luhrmann and his cohorts (the choreographer and production designer he badgers and constantly interrupts on the commentary track) love to dazzle and douse us in saturated colors. Theatrical artificiality dominates every decision they made. Ballroom succeeds (moreso than Moulin Rouge even) because the importance of this artificiality is challenged...by the love story, by the peasant earthiness of the leading woman's Spanish family, and by the earnestness of the hero's commitment to his own dream--to bring something new and truly his own to his own little world, the highly codified and insular world of ballroom dancing. The only disappointment (and it's a minor one) is that the commentary track was apparently done at or around the same time as the commentary tracks of Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge. More attention is given to production details (and kvetching about the things they couldn't do because of the limited budget) and less about the story itself.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, DVD is not too bad
Review: I'd seen the seen the movie several times before getting the DVD. Watching it on DVD does enhance the experience. The background music blends in a lot better. Little things like the loud tapping of feet and a whooshing sound effect when Scott is doing his "crowd pleasings steps" are nice extras that Dolby 5.1 brings to the experience. Luhrman's commentary is nice although he tends to go off on tangents which can be frustrating when you really want him to concentrate on the movie and give his insight on certain scenes. The documentary is nice side dish and overall a good effort for an independent film and a good effort by Mirimax giving this movie proper justice releasing it on DVD, finally.
Rating:
Summary: Strictly Marvelous!
Review: This mock documentary is a delight. Centering around Scott, a champion ballroom dancer with a domineering, "stage" mom and Fran, an average looking girl with a desire to dance, the movie delivers great music, romantic dancing and a nice love story. Paul Mercurio is handsome and charming as the lead character (I'd like to see him in more films but not like "An Exit to Eden", the horrible flop he made later). This movie is about fun, music and dancing. Well worth the money---I'm glad its finally on dvd!!!
Rating:
Summary: DVD better than VHS
Review: I know everyone has already rated the video 5 stars, so a 5 star DVD is not surprising, but the audio commentary by director and choreographer add so much to your understanding and appreciation of this great quirky movie.
Rating:
Summary: Better than "Dirty Dancing"and "Flashdance" Combined!!
Review: This Movie is better,classier and Funnier than"Dirty Dancing and "Flashdance Combined".It's very selfish and unfortunate for the prejudicial judgement that the critics gave this movie because it was'nt an american movie.I don't listen to those bloody,dumb critics anyway!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie Ever Made!
Review: 'Strictly Ballroom' has class and style. The story makes you care for the charactors. The movie is inspiration and funny. It makes me cheer every time. This is the standard for dancing flicks to beat. I loved the dancing scenes.
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