sweet and refreshing...better than original....

Rating: 9/10 (16 October 2004)

I went to see "Shall We Dance?" purely because I needed a diversion from the stress and burdens of daily life. Gladly, I can say that it was worth the price of admission. Jennifer Lopez was glowing and striking as Paulina, a sad and broken dancer who hides out, teaching dance lessons at Miss Mitzi's, a failing ballroom dancing school. Paulina catches the eye of John Clark (Richard Gere), a man caught in a mundane but successful lifestyle as a successful accountant with a loving wife and children.
What sets "Shall We Dance?" apart from the majority of films, today, is its lack of cynicism and its warm sense of humor. This is a throwback to another era of movie making where romance and integrity prevail. It was great to see Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez dance together. Jennifer definitely displayed her years of dance training, here, and it was a great vehicle for her many talents as both actress and dancer. I was so happy to see a film where a man doesn't have to engage in an extramarital affair or run away from his responsibilities to open his eyes to a new way of life filled with dance and self expression.
Take someone you love to this movie!