A surprisingly good movie...

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2004)

I have just finished watching "Shall We Dance", the remake of the Japanese movie with the same name.
I was expecting an entertaining movie and it was exactly what I got. "Shall We Dance" is definitely a lift of fresh air. I was delightedly surprised.
Richard Gere is an overworked lawyer who discovers that dance lessons is what he needed to fulfill his life with happiness and joy.
I know that the plot might sound pretty lame and it does. On paper it does sound pretty cliché and pretty lame. Why would anyone want to watch this? The question - the actors.
The cast is what raises the bar in this movie. It isn't just a sweet comedy with bland, underdeveloped and uneven performances like all the other sweet comedies. The actors in their roles completely shine.
Richard Gere brought for the first time in years the charm and charisma that he once had. He is perfect as the main lead and I really think he will have a shot in making my Best Actor ballot at the end of the year. I really expect him to be nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Actor Comedy/ Musical. It's just the type of performance that they love to recognize.
Susan Sarandon can do no wrong. And once again she showed that she is really one of the best actresses working today. She doesn't have big scenes or strong moments. But she is absolutely great during the whole movie. I really loved her.
And now Jennifer Lopez. As many of you know I don't hate her like everybody does but I also don't like her. I found her a talented actress (she already proved that in Out of Sight) with some terrible bad choices in movies and of course in personal life. At the beginning her character seemed kind of bland and uninteresting as did she. However as the movie keeps going Jennifer Lopez turns out to give an extremely and surprisingly sweet performance. And wow she really can dance. I think that people will be warm to her again after seeing this movie.
All the supporting cast is hilarious. I loved Stanley Tucci in this and I don't think he was overexposed. One of his best performances to date. And I absolutely loved Lisa Ann Walter - the funniest performance (Quit looking to my ass!!! ).
Another thing that surprised me in this movie is the strong chemistry that Richard Gere has with both leading ladies - Lopez and Sarandon. It's really unbelievable.
All the dance scenes are great, especially one in the middle between Gere and Lopez.
One of the few things that I really didn't like was the Score. It was a bit annoying.
I really think this movie will do great in the box-office. Of course it won't be a critical success but it is definitely a crowd pleaser and it will have a good word of mouth.
"Shall We Dance" is one of those movies that can't do no harm. It's extremely inoffensive and also sweet and cute. Of course it isn't a masterpiece. Far from it. But trust me you will have a good time watching this.
A surprise.
Rating: *** 1/2