A memorable Dance film

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2005)

Shall We Dance is the furthest thing from "Romantic Comedy." To explain it or put it in that genre seems silly and will therefore disappoint anyone who see this film. Shall We Dance is exactly what one would expect...a dance film. Dance films are their own genre beginning with the incredible Dirty Dancing and extending out with films such as Flashdance, Mad About Mambo, Footloose, Saturday Night Fever and so on and so on. Shall We Dance is the newest addition to the family and scores on that level.
Director Peter Chelsom does a great job focusing on what is important in this film which is two things...emotion and dance. The emotion comes from the focus on the main character played by Richard Gere. He is sad, he is in the midst of a mid life crisis and despite his initial attraction to Jennifer Lopez's character the attraction is really just something different, something new and exciting which he finds in dance. Gere is really the focus of the film and he does a fantastic job. He's always charismatic and an incredible screen presence, and a great dancer. He's very different from the typical dance Genre star. He's not young (Gere is 55 years old and looks incredible) but they don't try to make him seem younger. For the first time since I can remember they match him with the perfect wife in Susan Sarandon. Their romance in beautiful and time testing and not perfect but they fit each other and have amazing chemistry.
Jennifer Lopez is very subtly used in this film. Her character Paulina is a quiet, hidden, emotionally void dance instructor who was hurt in her past both professionally and romantically. Gere's fascination with her is more about the dance then about her. The woman is a beautiful dancer and fits her role nicely and although her and Gere don't share a lot of screen time, their chemistry is not stellar but then it's not meant to be. This is NOT a romance between them. This is about her bringing him to life. They do have one dance scene that is downright steamy and they look great together. The rest of the cast works so well together and they become such a great team that you can't help but feel like you're friends with all of them. Stanley Tucci is amazing as Link (he can also dance like nobodies business), Lisa Ann Walter is great as the annoying but emotional Bobbi, and Bobby Cannavale and Omar Benson Miller as Gere's friends and fellow students are also great additions. Everyone just seems to be having a good time, and they become such a great team together that they are fun to watch...like a family.
The film doesn't try to be overly serious and it hits the mark for a dance film. There is some real emotions there and I think everyone will enjoy it for what it is. Ignore harsh critics and check it out!! It's a beautiful story. 8/10