And this week's Friday night movie has been... Strictly Ballroom!
Thirty years ago, i recall this movie being a big deal. It was everywhere in advertising, was a box office hit and scooping numerous AFI awards. And it introduced the world to a director by the name of Baz Luhrmann.
Oh Baz Luhrmann - not one of my favorite film directors. I found him - as indicated by his follow ups William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet and Moulin Rouge - as the kind of guy who is obsessed with visuals, who is more concerned with style than substance, who directs like he's on a sugar high and knows his audience, a legion of squee-ing teenage girls, all too well.
I was going to be happy not seeing this movie but little did I know that Kiera had other plans...
But you know what? It's not that bad. No wait, scratch that: It's kinda good. It's funny, it's entertaining and - could it be? - Luhrmann's direction is reigned in enough to make the action on screen happen. In retrospect., this does seem a world away from what would happen with the afore-mentioned movies but the DNA is still there.
However lets be honest: the greatest selling point of this movie is the dancing and boy does this movie deliver. Say what you like about Paul Mercurio's limited acting ability but his dancing prowess is beyond compare. Also props to the Silverdome standing in for the climax.
Indeed, it makes me wonder what happened to this side of Baz Luhrmann. As the saying goes: constrictions inspire creativity so what happened to him in regards to his follow ups? Did success go to his head? Did he go crazy upon discovering larger budgets? Did he get replaced by a doppelganger? One can only wonder.
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