Flashdance

Rating: 5/10 (11 February 2011)

From director Adrian Lyne (9 ½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, Jacob's Ladder), this film has probably one of the most recognisable dance routines ever put in a film, I had to see if the rest of the film was any good too. Basically Alexandra 'Alex' Owens (Roger Dodger's Golden Globe nominated Jennifer Beals) is an eighteen year old who works in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania steel mill as a welder by day, but by night she expresses her true passion for dance, exotically doing so in Mawby's bar. Despite no real training, she has taught herself plenty of moves, and dreams of becoming a professional (ballet) dancer, starting with enrolling at Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory. At Mawby's bar, she attracts the interest of her steel mill boss Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), neither have met each other, and she has friends at the bar who have their dreams of fame as well. Waitress Jeanie Szabo (Sunny Johnson) wants to become a professional ice skater, and her boyfriend Richie Blazik (Kyle T. Heffner) is a cook who wants to be a stand-up comedian, we see them both try their hand at these career choices. Alex did plan to go to the Conservatory to sign up for an audition, but she realised with no training she hasn't got enough qualifications, but her dance teacher and mentor, retired ballet dancer Hanna Long (Lilia Skala) encourages her to go ahead with trying to keep going. We saw Jeanie fall twice at her skating audition, and after losing her confidence she turns to dancing at The Zanzibar, a strip club where she performs nude, but Alex rescues her. Nick and Alex have become lovers, he does reveal he has an ex-wife named Katie (Belinda Bauer), and arguments do settle, and he is able to get Alex an audition with his contacts at the Conservatory. Despite being a little mad with Nick getting an audition for her, and suffering the death of Hanna, Alex soldiers on an turns up for her important audition for the dancing school. She does fall and need to start again, but she confidently performs a great routine to the Oscar and Golden Globe winning, and BAFTA nominated Irene Cara title song "Flashdance...What A Feeling" (number 55 on 100 Years, 100 Songs), and the end of the film sees running happily out of the building to hug Nick and freeze frame. Also starring Lee Ving as Johnny C., Ron Karabatsos as Jake Mawby, Malcolm Danare as Cecil, Philip Bruns as Frank Szabo and Micole Mercurio as Rosemary Szabo. Beals makes a pretty and quite admirable character, the film has a good soundtrack, not just with the title song, but the other memorable song, Oscar and Golden Globe nominated "Maniac", indeed the final routine scene, recreated by Geri Halliwell for "It's Raining Men" among others, is the reason to watch, but overall, not a bad musical drama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, it won the BAFTA for Best Editing, and it was nominated for Best Score for Giorgio Moroder and Best Sound, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Giorgio Moroder, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, and it was nominated the Razzie for Worst Screenplay. Worth watching!