Sunshine and Light

Mad Hot Ballroom

Do I start every single movie post with "Wow, this was better than I thought?" I think this is holdover from the death march through the AFI Top 100. The learning experience from that was highly acclaimed doesn't mean enjoyable. Learning experience part deux was that I was surprised at which movies I truly enjoyed - a 1939 John Wayne Western, a 1950's Katherine Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart flick, a 1940s coming home from war movie, 1960s "Lawrence of Arabia". So when I like a movie I wasn't sure I wanted to watch, it's always kind of exciting.

This was cool, because it was fun. It follows grade school kids in NYC who are taught and compete in ballroom dance. It's funny, it's exasperating when one of the kids drops out, and it makes me want to rush out and brush up on the dance class I took...um...6 years ago. Ok, maybe it would just be re-learn, after 6 years it isn't brush up. Anyway, it's fun to watch the kids transform from a group that doesn't want to touch each other and who can't keep their shirts tucked in. By the last scene, many are young ladies and gentlemen who are quite good. Alas, probably the most profound thing said in the movie is from one of the dance instructors who talks about when she sees one of her former dance pupils out on the streets, just becoming another thug. Unfortunate proof that it won't make a difference to everyone. But while you're watching the movie, you hope along with the kids that they'll turn out to be fabulous ballroom dancers or lawyers or whatever it is they talk about in the movie. Happy, uplifting, and fun.

Labels: Movies

posted by MyHusbandRules @ 10:41 AM