Fair simple, rocky-type story...

Rating: 3/10 (31 August 2010)

1st watched 8/27/2010 -- 3 out of 10 (Dir-Adrian Lyne): Fair simple, rocky-type story about a young woman from Pittsburgh who is a steel worker by day, a dancer by night, and wants to get into a local dance school following the example of her grandmother. Jennifer Beals plays the busy and feisty 18 year old with the dream in this Adrian Lyne directed video-like story. The movie is full of music and video snippets without a whole lot of dialogue and this fills up the movie instead of a story. You never really get a chance to understand the characters because of this choice by the director. You understand what the characters want, but you never really get a fully-developed "why" for any of the characters. There are some other minor characters that carry dreams as well -- like a cook who wants to be a comedienne at the local bar where the Beals' character dances. So the real purpose of the story is to show you not to stop reaching for your dreams, but the shallowness of the characters do not help you care. Beals is sexy and enticing at times but is never really given much of an opportunity to act, and when she's given it she doesn't do it that well. The boyfriend, played by Michael Nouri, is just an older middle-aged guy honkering for a younger chic and the Beals' character fits the bill for him. So, overall, you have a very shallow movie about reaching your dreams and never giving up that just doesn't quite cut it despite some good music and OK dancing.