Save the Last Dance

Rating: 5/10 (10 August 2008)

I had no real information about the film's story, i.e. I didn't realise it was about ballet before hip hop dancing, but it was when I saw the scene spoofed in Scary Movie 2 that I really got into it more. Basically Sara Johnson (The Bourne Trilogy and 10 Things I Hate About You's Julia Stiles) was once an aspiring ballet dancer, but her dream to become a professional was cut short by the death of her mother, and since she has moved in with her father Roy (Terry Kinney). He lives in a predominantly Black neighbourhood, and she has to be transferred to a new school where she is one of the few White students. She finds a friend with small-time ghetto girl Chenille Reynolds (The Last King of Scotland's Kerry Washington), and later she gets to see Sara's ballet ability. Later after starting a friendship with Chenille's brother Derek (Cruel Intentions' Sean Patrick Thomas), he teaches her how her ballet skills can be put to use for an audition (the one she could have had if not for her mother's death). In a really cool scene he teaches some small cool moves, like the spoof in Scary Movie 2, and as time goes by, she gains more and more hip hop moves till she has a routine for the judges. There is the small quarrel between Sara and Derek before this audition happens, but she sticks it out, they make up, and she makes a very good impression with the judges mixing ballet with a bit of hip hop. Also starring Fredro Starr as Malakai, Bianca Lawson as Nikki, Vince Green as Snookie and Garland Whitt as Kenny. Stiles and Thomas are attractive leads, the dance sequences, especially the all important audition are fun to watch, and the soundtrack (including songs from Fatman Scoop, Ice Cube and Blaqout) is very good, and not too much sentimentality to sour the film, a crowd-pleasing dance/music film. Worth watching!