Brilliant, Classic

Rating: Null/10 (29 June 2001)

It's interesting that this movie is so polarizing--you either hate it or love it. No middle ground. Kind of like politics and virtually everything else in this country today. I predict that this movie will gain its true due in the future--like many brilliant things, it's not appreciated in the moment. I'm just old enough to remember movie musicals in theatres, like Hello Dolly, etc. And this movie truly revisits that glorious era and then ups the ante. The glorious visuals are reason enough to see the film. Here's why I love it: In this cynical age, the director does not apologize for his straight-ahead romanticism, it's clear-eyed and as real as you can get in a visual cartoon like this. I applaud his bravery. It was refreshing to watch a movie without the self-aware, snickering, nudge-nudge so common of our era. Baz is a genius, but then I love Strictly Ballroom too--one of my favorite movies of all time.