I like dance movies - and I am a straight guy.

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2005)

OK, I admit it. I like dance movies and I am a hetero guy with a wife and kids and a dog and I am a manly kind of man. Grrrrrrr! But I like dance movies. And this was a very good one. It seems to me that there is a tendency to dig way to deep into the hidden meanings of films. I do it and so do you! But I think it is perfectly aok to take this movie on it's face value as a feel-good romantic comedy with a good cast, good and quirky performances, good dancing, a happy ending, considering all of it's qualities, and give it the praise it deserves. It works. Richard Gere is charming and effective. Several of the scenes as he sat in the L train were very effective. Jlo was very good. I thought Susan Serandon was absolutely terrific and I am not a big fan of her. For instance, I thought the most sensual scene was when she and Gere were in the kitchen at the end and they were "dancing", so to speak. They projected a great sense of romantic love. Another great scene was when Stanley Tucci came out of his office, sharply twirled the secretary up, around, back and down in her chair as an exclamation point of his passion for dancing.
Good movie. Highly recommended.