| Shall We Dance | | Cast : | Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci | | Director : | Peter Chelsom | | Studio : | Buena Vista Home Vid | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | October 15, 2004 | | DVD Released Date : | February 01, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 08, 2005 | | Summary | Dancing in the dark....... | Content
 | Shall We Dance is a fairly good adult film that might bore younger viewers.
The movie was definitely made with more mature audiences in mind, and moves at a relatively fair pace. Not a great movie by any means, it does manage to entertain throughout.
John Clark (Richard Gere) is a fairly successful estate lawyer who seems to be finding himself a little bored with his life. He has a good career, a loving wife (Susan Sarandon), 2 children, and a beautiful home, but something seems to be missing. On his way home from work each night on the subway, he passes Miss Mitzi's dance school. Intrigued by the beautiful women who he often sees standing in the window (Jennifer Lopez), he decides on impulse one day to give it a shot, and take a look inside.
From there on, he decides to enroll in ballroom dancing, which he comes to find as quite refreshing and therapeutic to his "mundane" life. The rest of the film has to do with Gere learning to appreciate dance, and not being embarrassed by it. He keeps this secret from his wife and kids, and develops a whole new set of relationships with his dancing teacher Miss Mitzi (Gillette), instructor Paulina (Lopez), and other fellow students.
This was a good supporting role for Lopez, and she shines here much more than in her other starring roles from previous years. As Paulina, she plays an ex competitive ballroom dancer turned instructor who has become a little jaded with life, with men, and with dance.
It all leads up to a amateur dance contest, with Gere and his other fellow classmates taking part. He's coached mainly by Miss Mitzi (Anita Gillette), with a little help from Lopez. There is a great dance sequence between Gere and Lopez that I found to be the highlight of the film. Both dance exceptionally in this movie, with Lopez doing some really fine work.
In the end, Gere learns to be open about his love of dance with his wife & kids, his co-workers and even with himself.
There are not too many adult films like "Shall We Dance" being released by the studios these days, so in that sense, the film is a little refreshing. At times far-fetched, "Shall We Dance" is still an enjoyable "one time watcher".
Recommended for more mature adults, I do not feel that this is really a movie to be enjoyed by everyone. If your like most twenty somethings, & your not interested in "middle aged man" syndrome or dancing....then you really need not apply. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 03, 2005 | | Summary | Wonderfully uplifting! | Content
| This is a great movie to watch if you're feeling a little low. It'll instantly snap you back into a wonderful mood. It's impossible not to laugh at the many wacky situations these characters get themselves into. Richard Gere is as charming as usual and Stanley Tucci steals the show with his over the top portrayal. A romantic riot all rolled into one. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 03, 2005 | | Summary | Funny dance course | Content
| I use to be a dance teacher. The movie is a caricature of what happened during the dance courses with beginners. It is very funny. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 31, 2005 | | Summary | *Sigh* WHY AM I SMILING ? | Content
| "Shall We Dance" is alarming with how calm a film it is.It starts off in a manner unknown to me.Using directional synchronisation,it somehow collides with the monotonity of a certain month in a middle aged man's life that isn't going too well. He travels from work to home via a train. He notices Jennifer Lopez standing on the balcony of a dance school. The next day, he notices the same and this time he notices she's looking to the darkness within and beyond (Yeah I've read Ayn Rand)Like most curious men would do but be discreet about it, he decides to check up on it.He joins the school and thus begins some fun.
There is strange comedy in the eyes and facial expressions of Richard Gere. I laughed a lot in the first 45 minutes. The best scene in the film was also the only swearing used in the film at all. I won't spoil this movie for you and I'm sorry if my comprehension makes it any less interesting.
I'm usually very strict on movies with fairy tale endings but I'll let this one be because it is done with an extremely laid back screenplay. I don't think it would make any difference to my movie experience if I deleted the last 300 seconds or so.
Anyhow,there's a certain dialogue in the film by Susan S. which describes marriage. Look out for that.
I would not recommend this movie to everyone though because a few have the power to observe. Also a slight flaw lies in how quickly Richard Gere gets results on everything he does. He gets a letter from Paulina and more. It seems a bit too movie like for me to swallow. I can only wish people were that non complacent in expression of their emotions, verbal or written.
Enjoy it anyway |
| Rating | | | Date | July 27, 2005 | | Summary | I love the movie and the video at end of it! | Content
| I am a typical chic-flick woman and love the Sway video at the end of the DVD (It is what made me buy it vs. just rent it). I watch dance movies over & over again and this will become a classic for me. |
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