Suffused with energy, it's everything a dance movie should be!

Rating: Null/10 (10 April 2001)

Yes the film is cliched, from the new kid - new town - stand out and prove yourself scenario (footloose) to the 'you can do anything if you want it enough' (any film you care to mention) theme, it has been done and done again. But there are only 8 storylines on which to make a film so they are bound to get rehashed and good films aren't simply about originality, they're about strong performances, exciting photography, absorbing storylines and disparate elements that work together and as a whole connect with the audience. Save the Last Dance knows that it's been done before, but it also knows it's genre and it just goes there. It has a fantastic soundtrack, a wonderful sense of humour, plenty of drama and above all, wicked dance sequences. What made films like 'Flashdance' so unbearably dull was the fact that not only could the lead not dance particularly well but the dance style was so dull. Hip Hop is so fresh and innovative, it has a pulse, and even though every talentless new manufactured pop group tries their very best to dance to jump on the bandwagon, it's probably been as long as the 1980's 'Breakdance' since we last had the opportunity to see black dance represented properly. Who knows if Julia Stiles can dance but she certainly does a good impression, Sean Patrick Thomas easily makes up for anything she lacks and they are surrounded by such a strong cast that the film can't help but sparkle with the same energy that colours hip hop. Not everybody is going to like this film, but then teenage dance movies have always been a niche market; but if carefree, wonderfully choreographed dance extravaganzas are what you're into then your money could not be better spent. Grease, Dirty Dancing, Saturday Night Fever: you know that feeling when you leave the cinema buoyed up and ready to dance all night? Well this film is up there with the best of them.