Hackneyed, cliched, trite-but somehow, it works and you can dance to itt

Rating: 8/10 (24 October 2000)

This movie is really, on the face of it, collection of well-worn characters, plot devices and cliched, old scenarios and it should really just sink to the bottom with only a gurgling sound or two. But, amazingly enough, it works just well enough to be worth watching. Most of the performances are at least good and some are very good. Liv Tyler does the best of the principal cast, but three of the supporting roles give it life and one of them all but steals the movie. Bill Cobb as a jazz musician and Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks' wife in real life) as a waitress have very good parts and shine in their scenes. But Obba Babatunde as Lamarr, the hotel doorman is great and all but walks off with the movie. The music is very good all through the movie, with the title track getting an Oscar nomination. It's played throughout the movie and is infectious. It's got a beat and you can dance to it. I give it a 77.