Great Cast; Good Dancing

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2005)

What a surprise this movie was. I expected it to be dull and by the numbers, but Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and Jennifer Lopez all turn in good performances. The supporting cast is also top notch: Bobby Cannavale, Anita Gillette, Lisa Ann Walter, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, and Omar Miller are all terrific.
Gere plays a long-married and bored lawyer who tries to find some fun in life. Sarandon is his busy wife and Lopez is a defensive ballroom dance teacher. The wife of course assumes he's having an affair and hires a detective. The odd ducks in the dance class all become friends and become supporters for each other. There is a dance contest and some nice storyline resolutions.
Gere is loose and funny as the lawyer and actually does better dance moves here than in his acclaimed performance in Chicago. Lopez also does some good dancing, and Sarandon smolders as the jealous wife. Gillette has a good role as Miss Mitzi the dance school owner. Cannavale is hilarious as the tough guy who thinks dancing will draw women to him. Tucci is also very funny as the closet heterosexual who loves to wear sequins and dance. Jenkins is winning as the detective, and Miller is good as the fat guy. Walter almost steals the film as the loud, obnoxious woman who spends all her spare time training for the big dance contest.
Shall We Dance starts slowly but once it gets going it's a winner.