Cheap Strictly Ballroom (DVD) (Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice) (Baz Luhrmann) Price

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Customer Reviews of Strictly Ballroom

Outrageously good
Easily my favorite film of all time. I used to rent the hell out of this at the video store, and now that I own it on DVD, it's been played at least three dozen times. The commentary is interesting, and the background info is informative although relatively brief, but it's really all about the film. I enjoyed Moulin Rouge, and felt mixed emotions over Romeo + Juliet, so I'm not one of those Baz the genius sycophants. But this movie is incredibly funny and good, sexy, moral, and entertaining from beginning to end. That's pretty rare, especially these days where amorality, nonsense and shallow platitudes rule the screen. If you don't know anything about ballroom dancing you'll be intrigued, if you don't like it you'll be converted, and if you love ballroom dancing you'll drop your pants for this film. It is that good.

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A life lived in fear is a life half-lived, or danced.
OK, there's been the athletic drama genre done before, right? The one with the championship finals being the climactic scene? American Anthem for gymnastics, American Flyers for cycling, and Cutting Edge for skating, to name a few. Well, right on the one, down on the two, left on the three, up on the four, for Strictly Ballroom takes on the ballroom dancing, as popular in Australia as kangaroos and shrimps on the barbie.

Much admired by his peers, family, and members of the ballroom dancing establishment, Scott Hastings is seen as the next big champion of the prestigious Pan Pacific Championship. His form is superlative, but he's driven by the need to do some crowd-pleasing steps that don't conform to the samba, rhumba, or whatever dance. As Barry Fife, president of the Australian Dance Federation says, "you can dance anything you like. That doesn't mean you win." Which Scott doesn't, to the fury of his partner, Liz Holt, who ends their partnership. Scott though, is "sick of doing somebody else's steps all the time."

His dance coach, Les Kendall, owner of the dance academy, his overcontrolling mother, and Barry Fife, i.e. the establishment, want him to toe the line. His bespectacled and thin father, Doug, isn't that assertive about it, seeming inconspicuous and insignificant, but there are some things about him that don't meet the eye.

Fran, a not-too-pretty beginner in the dance class, boldly asks Scott to be his partner for the Pan Pacifics and to dance his way, gutsy as no beginner has the right to approach an open amateur like that. Fran persists, and as she and Scott practice together, the time lapse shows Fran blossoming, wearing her hair down, her hair turning a lovely dark brown, and we learn she is Portuguese. The lovely cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" in these sequences is sung by Mark Williams and Tara Morice, who plays Fran. This song really takes a nice romantic edge with its softer production. The pair later get dancing instructions from Fran's father, who at first looks intimidating, but takes to Scott.

However, look at the title, strictly ballroom. This means rigid conformity with the steps associated with the dance, no fancy steps, which can add life to any old dance. And there's the cheesy glitz associated, as the corrupt president wants to fix Scott up with Tina Sparkle, a sizzling shallow blonde with a nice fruit costume motif. After all, "a Pan Pacific champion becomes a hero, a guiding light to all dancers, someone who'll set the right example." Translation: a conformist.

Some of the characters who are louder and more garish are annoying, such as Scott's shrewish mother and Liz. It's characters like Scott, Fran, and Doug who are winning characters, as is Les, who sees potential in Scott: "You've got a light in you boy. Let it shine."

When I first saw this in 1994, I had no idea it was directed by Baz Luhrman, known for the notoriously splashy and overdone Moulin Rouge. As it is, Strictly Ballroom is glitzy but not overdone, with the dancing sequences and costumes topnotch.

It may take two to tango, but the tango isn't the only dance, people. And if you don't want to tango, do the paso doble instead.

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Awesome movie, not so the DVD
I have loved this movie for years, and had it on tape. I was so happy when I saw there was a DVD, and it had a commentary. But, surprise! The commentary is absoluely rotten. I can't believe people who could make such an entertaining movie couldn't find anything interesting to say about it. I found my self yelling at the TV screen for them to get moving. Don't remember ever doing that before...

There are a few interesting extras, but really, the only thing I got for my money as a slightly clearer picture.