Amazon.co.uk Review
Something got lost in translation from 1996's critically acclaimed Japanese comedy, but the American remake of Shall We Dance? is not without charms of its own. In being transplanted from Tokyo to Chicago, the original version's subtle humor is shaken out of its cultural context, but this is an otherwise faithful adaptation in which a weary lawyer (Richard Gere) battles his mid-life crisis with ballroom dancing lessons, while his wife (Susan Sarandon) hires a private detective to see if he's cheating. Those expecting a Jennifer Lopez showcase will be disappointed; her role as the melancholy dance instructor keeps the beautifully lovelorn J-Lo on the sidelines, while a cast of standard-issue supporting characters (especially Stanley Tucci's clandestine faux-Latin dance lover) provide a generous dose of Hollywood-ized comic relief. All of this gives Shall We Dance? a polished sheen of mainstream entertainment that many viewers---and especially ballroom dancers--will find delightfully irresistible. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Dont waste your time.......2008-02-08
The acting (especially from Lopez) is very wooden. This manages to ruin a reasonable story line and it defeats all attemptes by the supporting cast to keep the story on track. Also, she cannot dance. An incredible piece of casting that destroys the film.
Abysmal.......2007-09-04
What can I say. Jennifer Lopez can't act, Richard Gere's past it, and the motivations behind the plot make no sense at all - why would his wife be that upset about him taking dancing lessons?? Don't quite get it, and was bored out of my skull by the end of the film, seriously thought I'd wasted 2 hours of my life.
MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE.......2007-07-29
A lovely film that enthralled me from start to finish. It makes me laugh and cry all at the same time so whatever you do don`t miss this one.
A humorous,romantic,lively and colourful film.......2006-07-11
If someone told you that Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez were going to dance together on film you'd expect it to be one of the sexiest dances you could hope to see.They did dance together on Shall We Dance and it was one of the sexiest dances you could hope to see.All the characters in the movie are engaging and the whole cast does a great job.You experience something very romantic and uplifting.Peter Chelsom,who directed Serendipity,directed this film and skilfully draws the viewer into a magical realm that keeps in touch with the real world we all live in.The bonus material on the dvd really is a bonus and I watched it several times.
Heart warming and sweet!.......2006-07-01
I have to say that this film had me in tears at one point. It is so sweet and fun-loving. It is the kind of film you do not need to concentrate on and has some excellent dance scenes in it...J-Lo can certainly dance well.
If you prefer deep stuff, avoid it but if you are open minded and just want a movie you can enjoy easily...this is the one!
Amazon.co.uk Review
The chemistry between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers was still going strong in their seventh spin around the dance floor, Shall We Dance? And this time--amid the usual improbable plot confusions and on-again, off-again flirting between the two, they were backed up by a song score provided by the matchless George and Ira Gershwin. Among the highlights are "They All Laughed", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", and the Oscar-nominated "They Can't Take That Away from Me". Director Mark Sandrich, the most frequent helmer of the Astaire-Rogers pictures (including Top Hat), creates a gleaming showcase for his stars. He also brings back two devilish character actors, Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore, to repeat their support from previous outings. Ginger is kicky and fun; she was one of the few partners who didn't look intimidated onscreen by Astaire's incomparable dancing skills. Fred is in great form himself--so good you almost believe it when he pretends to be a Russian. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Lovely light comedy........2007-10-18
What a lovely light comedy. The characters were amusing. It was a nice glance into modern day Tokyo, and changing Japanese culture. (And a million times better than the U.S Richard Gere version).
Unexpectedly wonderful.......2007-10-06
I found this film enjoyable and refreshing. This is not a movie I chose to watch, but now I am glad I did. Richard Gere plays a man that is in very happy 19-year marriage with a wonderful family. But he feels he is missing something...his mid-life crisis perhaps. He sees Jennifer Lopez's character every night on his way home and this grabs his attention. He has to meet her, and she just happens to work at a dance studio.
So we watch as he fumbles his way into taking dance lessons in order to meet her. And he starts the dance lessons. One evening Jennifer characters tells him if he is there for her, he should quit. After taking stock in the situation, he realizes he loves dancing. Yet all this time his wife is worried that he may be having an affair.
I am pleased how the movie turned out. We need more movies where the family truly loves each other and nothing torrid happens. For there are couples that are truly happily married and people should be aware of it. This movie shows us in a genuinely soft romantic way. The cast of characters for this movie is perfect and they work well together. And the Latin and ballroom dancing is a nice medium to show us this in. Take your significant other to see this with you.
Yes, Mr. Clark, I would love to dance with you.......2007-07-02
Richard Gere plays Mr. John Clark, a contracts lawyer who commutes to and from work on the "El" (elevated train) in Chicago. Daydreaming and thinking about the day's events, he looks out the window. as he passes a red brick building with huge letters on the side, "Miss Mitzi's Dance Studio". He views Paulina, played by Jennifer Lopez, a beautiful dance instructor who is wistfully gazing out the window. He is captivated. When he sees her dancing, he is enticed to take ballroom dance lessons to help him break out of his humdrum predicatble existence. He lives in the suburbs, has two teenaged children, a girl and boy and a lovely wife of 19 years named Bev (Susan Sarandon) who is a successful department director in a high-end clothing store. He keeps his passion for dancing to himself ... until he discovers a co-worker at his office also has this secret passion.
Stanley Tucci plays a lawyer who is fascinated by sports, which he talks about at the office all the time but it is a ruse. His real passion is for dancing, which has been an interest since he was a teenager. Tucci is hilarious as he dons a wig over his otherwise bald head, during his macho dance routines. John Clark discovers his "secret" at a hot dance spot where his friend melts the dance floor and is the center of attention. Bev, John's wife, is getting suspicious why John keeps coming home late on Wednesday nights (dance lesson night). Her curiosity is further fueled by a coworker's concerns that her own husband is having an affair. One Wednesday night, Bev calls the office only to discover John had left for the day. She questions him about his activities and he explains he left the office but then had returned to finish his work (this explanation does not wash as he did not pick up the line when she called). Bev takes matters one step further and hires a private investigator to track her husband's moves, fearing an affair. Obviously, communication between them is at an all time low. They live parallel lives, sharing very little about their personal thoughts and feelings ...
Matters heat up between Paulina the dance instructor and John Clark after Miss Mitzi enrolls John and several other new students in a ballroom dance contest. John receives some one on one dance lessons with Paulina. The ballroom dance contest became the climactic experience for all the dancers. Miss Mitzi's students shone. Then an unexpected event changed the good fortune of John and his partner Bobbie. Bev and her daughter had secretly attended the performance and witnessed the circumstances. In the end, ball room dancing became the stimulus which helped revive the marriage of John Clark and his wife Bev. Ballroom dancing helped the other novice dancers discover courage in themselves and provided a successful foundation on which to build further succcess in life. Paulina also developed renewed confidence to pursue her career goals despite a setback which had initially led her back to teach dance lessons at Miss Mitzi's ...
Overall, the film was an overwhelming success in terms of how it tied together the disparate lives of some very different people who had only one thing in common, an interest in ball room dancing. The film is a huge success because of how it so beautifully conveys ball room dancing to be the stimulus which reawakens Mr. John Clark to come alive, break out of his mold, reconnect with himself, his wife and his life. It is done with creativity and complexity. The plot and story development was superbly done. The tensions which arise in his life and are resolved keep the attention of the viewer throughout the film. There are hilarious moments, too such as when John Clark discovers his coworker dancing like a macho super star with all the beautiful women ... such a contrast to his typical office persona. The fact that John Clark originally became interested in ball room dancing because of seeing Paulina, the beautiful dance instructor staring out the window ... provides more counterpoint of temptation, emphasizing the humdrum relationship with his wife. The film builds interest and fascination as the relationship between John Clark who is the student and Paulina, the exquisite dance instructor develops. The big question is ... will they or won't they connect into something more?
Peter Chilsom the director did a phenomenal job of matching the right actors and actresses for the various roles. The DVD special features section was especially well done , the interview with the Director, and various actors and actresses provided wonderful insights into how the film was made and the challenges of learning ballroom dance. I deduct one star for only this reason, the film needed some long shots of scenes in Chicago. The scenes were confined to either views along the way as Mr. Clark rode the train, the inside of the dance studio, the inside of the Clark's home, Mr. Clark's office, some dark dreary street scenes, a restaurant, or the ballroom. The film begins with Mr. John Clark on the "El" and one sees very little of the city at any time during the film. Chicago has uniquely attractive buildings for which it is famous and a stunningly beautiful water front, honing in on some of these during the film, perhaps as it began or ended would have enhanced the film enormously. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
At last this film will be available.........2005-02-14
At long last, 'Shall We Dance?' is available in the UK. I LOVE this film for many reasons. First, you can see what the ordinary Japanese semi-middle class family life is like. No guns or swords, no blood, no samurai or soldiers - this is a very cultural film about modern Japan. Secondly, this movie shows how much the Japanese people admire the British culture (in this film's case the ballroom dancing, sportsmanship, and Blackpool!). If you are, or thinking about, learning Japanese, listen to how Tamako-sensei (the elderly female dance teacher) speaks. As well as speaks gently, she show the gentle heart of the traditional Japanese lady. Koji Yakusho has proved he is one of the most brilliant actors in Japan, and my favourite one is definitely Naoto Takenaka, who plays a funny funny bloke who specialises Latin dance to fill the 'gap' in his everyday life and hopefully find a nice girl too.
FYI: I have already seen the Hollywood version of this film, but it's not the same thing at all. It's supposed to be a re-make of this brilliant film, but, in my view, it's a little bit too 'Americanised' and almost feels like a different film. Maybe you can make your own judgement by watching this Japanese original first? I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Literally Unique.......2005-01-11
Nothing else like it.
Masayuki Suo's small masterpiece.
"Shall we dansu" and "Tampopo" are your must-have Japanese movies!
By the way, don't be confused by the unrelated hollywood (Richard Gere) movie of a similar title, or the 1930s Fred Astair movie "Shall we dance" (also unrelated). Enjoy!
Amazon.co.uk Review
The chemistry between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers was still going strong in their seventh spin around the dance floor, Shall We Dance? And this time--amid the usual improbable plot confusions and on-again, off-again flirting between the two, they were backed up by a song score provided by the matchless George and Ira Gershwin. Among the highlights are "They All Laughed", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", and the Oscar-nominated "They Can't Take That Away from Me". Director Mark Sandrich, the most frequent helmer of the Astaire-Rogers pictures (including Top Hat), creates a gleaming showcase for his stars. He also brings back two devilish character actors, Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore, to repeat their support from previous outings. Ginger is kicky and fun; she was one of the few partners who didn't look intimidated onscreen by Astaire's incomparable dancing skills. Fred is in great form himself--so good you almost believe it when he pretends to be a Russian. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
"They Can't Take That Away From Me".......2005-09-06
The beloved "Shall We Dance" was the only Fred and Ginger film with songs from George and Ira Gershwin, and they were splendid. Songs like "They Can't Take That Away From Me" made for great entertainment when coupled with the opulent RKO sets in this Pandro S. Berman production. The lively tale of mix-ups and misunderstandings was from a screenplay by Allan Scott and Ernest Pagno, based on an adaptation by P.J. Wolfson of a story by Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman. Ginger's gowns by Irene were fabulous as always and Mark Sandrich once again took the helm.
On his stay in Paris, Pete (Fred Astaire), a famous ballet dancer also known as Petrov, wants to meet musical comedy star Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers), and in fact, would like to marry her! Pete and his pal Jeffrey (Edward Everett Horton) discover she's sailing on the S.S. Queen Anne and follow her. Pete uses a fake accent for a short time but is eventually found out, and finds out that dogs are the way to a girl's heart.
A wild story Jeffery told Lady Tarrington (Ketti Gallian) in Paris comes back to haunt Pete, as suddenly everyone on the cruise thinks he and Linda have been secretly married, and are going to have a baby! It's a bit much for Linda, who has sworn off reporters, and they decide to really get married, so they can get divorced. But it's too late for Linda, as she has fallen in love with the pursuing Pete, and there is a sadness as Pete sings "They Can't Take That Away From Me" on a ferry to Manhattan after it's all done. The tune was nominated as Best Song but lost the Oscar to "Sweet Leilani" from "Waikiki Wedding."
Hilarious moments in the film include Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore in a "hushing" duel with ballet patrons, Horton and Jerome Cowan getting tight, with Horton getting ill afterward, and Fred convincing Horton that he's seasick, even though the water is perfectly calm. Blore ends up in jail for the second time in one of the couple's pictures and is once again a riot.
Ginger sings "They All Laughed" and she and Fred share a lovely dance that culminates with a smile, as the couple sit on a piano. A fun and famous scene has them on skates in the park, dancing to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." Fred's character Pete wants to dance with Linda all his life, but what's he to do when she won't consider it? Dance with images of her, that's what. A charming conclusion has Linda joining the other girls, but Pete can't figure out which is the real Linda. Will Linda say yes to Pete? If you are a fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers you know the answer to that one!
Devoted fans of one of the most fondly remembered couples in screen history might be shocked to learn that during production, there were plans for this to be their final film. "Swing Time," their previous entry, now widely regarded by film historians, along with "Top Hat," as the zenith of their films together, had done huge box office business in large cities upon its initial release. But that business had quickly subsided and there were those at RKO who felt they had gone to the well once too often.
Fortunately for us, that theory was squashed, and we got to see the hilarious "Carefree" and the tender "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" before the couple said farewell. Again, fortunately, we don't have to say farewell, only "see you later," because we now have the ability to watch these wonderful films at home whenever we want. "Shall We Dance" is a charming reminder of a magic that passed this way only once, and something you'll want to capture forever by picking up a copy today.
One of the best Fred Astaire movies.......2003-06-04
'Shall We Dance' is every bit as good as 'Top Hat' and 'Swing Time', and boasts a score by the amazing brothers George and Ira Gershwin. Astaire's determination to keep expanding his ideas is displayed in the 'Slap That Bass' number, where he uses the steam in the engine room of the ship on which much of the film is based to create an unusual cinematic texture. It's a shame that the song 'I've Got Beginner's Luck' was curtailed before the final edit, because the dance which one might expect does not take place; the same is true of the greatest song of all time, 'They Can't Take That Away from Me', which is nevertheless delivered with Astaire's usual elegance. 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off' shows the dancers on roller skates in the middle of Central Park, in a brilliantly rhythmic number, and best of all is 'They All Laughed', perhaps their greatest routine of all time, showing a mixture of both the ballroom and tap styles in which Fred and Ginger were definitive. Brilliant.
Great film of Astaire and Rogers!.......2002-05-02
This is the 7th film of 10 films that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers done together
(it was followed by "Carefree"(1938) ,"The Story of Irene and Vernon Castle"(1939) and then
in 1949 by short reunion in "Barkleys of Broadway").
Gershwin's music is delightfull,the songs from "Shall We Dance" became classic jazz hits.
The film's plot is funny and complicated just enough to be a wonderful frame for Astaire's dance routines.
And these dance numbers are really unforgettable.
"Shall We Dance" is one of the best musicals of all the times!
Customer Reviews:
Lovely light comedy........2007-10-18
What a lovely light comedy. The characters were amusing. It was a nice glance into modern day Tokyo, and changing Japanese culture. (And a million times better than the U.S Richard Gere version).
Unexpectedly wonderful.......2007-10-06
I found this film enjoyable and refreshing. This is not a movie I chose to watch, but now I am glad I did. Richard Gere plays a man that is in very happy 19-year marriage with a wonderful family. But he feels he is missing something...his mid-life crisis perhaps. He sees Jennifer Lopez's character every night on his way home and this grabs his attention. He has to meet her, and she just happens to work at a dance studio.
So we watch as he fumbles his way into taking dance lessons in order to meet her. And he starts the dance lessons. One evening Jennifer characters tells him if he is there for her, he should quit. After taking stock in the situation, he realizes he loves dancing. Yet all this time his wife is worried that he may be having an affair.
I am pleased how the movie turned out. We need more movies where the family truly loves each other and nothing torrid happens. For there are couples that are truly happily married and people should be aware of it. This movie shows us in a genuinely soft romantic way. The cast of characters for this movie is perfect and they work well together. And the Latin and ballroom dancing is a nice medium to show us this in. Take your significant other to see this with you.
Yes, Mr. Clark, I would love to dance with you.......2007-07-02
Richard Gere plays Mr. John Clark, a contracts lawyer who commutes to and from work on the "El" (elevated train) in Chicago. Daydreaming and thinking about the day's events, he looks out the window. as he passes a red brick building with huge letters on the side, "Miss Mitzi's Dance Studio". He views Paulina, played by Jennifer Lopez, a beautiful dance instructor who is wistfully gazing out the window. He is captivated. When he sees her dancing, he is enticed to take ballroom dance lessons to help him break out of his humdrum predicatble existence. He lives in the suburbs, has two teenaged children, a girl and boy and a lovely wife of 19 years named Bev (Susan Sarandon) who is a successful department director in a high-end clothing store. He keeps his passion for dancing to himself ... until he discovers a co-worker at his office also has this secret passion.
Stanley Tucci plays a lawyer who is fascinated by sports, which he talks about at the office all the time but it is a ruse. His real passion is for dancing, which has been an interest since he was a teenager. Tucci is hilarious as he dons a wig over his otherwise bald head, during his macho dance routines. John Clark discovers his "secret" at a hot dance spot where his friend melts the dance floor and is the center of attention. Bev, John's wife, is getting suspicious why John keeps coming home late on Wednesday nights (dance lesson night). Her curiosity is further fueled by a coworker's concerns that her own husband is having an affair. One Wednesday night, Bev calls the office only to discover John had left for the day. She questions him about his activities and he explains he left the office but then had returned to finish his work (this explanation does not wash as he did not pick up the line when she called). Bev takes matters one step further and hires a private investigator to track her husband's moves, fearing an affair. Obviously, communication between them is at an all time low. They live parallel lives, sharing very little about their personal thoughts and feelings ...
Matters heat up between Paulina the dance instructor and John Clark after Miss Mitzi enrolls John and several other new students in a ballroom dance contest. John receives some one on one dance lessons with Paulina. The ballroom dance contest became the climactic experience for all the dancers. Miss Mitzi's students shone. Then an unexpected event changed the good fortune of John and his partner Bobbie. Bev and her daughter had secretly attended the performance and witnessed the circumstances. In the end, ball room dancing became the stimulus which helped revive the marriage of John Clark and his wife Bev. Ballroom dancing helped the other novice dancers discover courage in themselves and provided a successful foundation on which to build further succcess in life. Paulina also developed renewed confidence to pursue her career goals despite a setback which had initially led her back to teach dance lessons at Miss Mitzi's ...
Overall, the film was an overwhelming success in terms of how it tied together the disparate lives of some very different people who had only one thing in common, an interest in ball room dancing. The film is a huge success because of how it so beautifully conveys ball room dancing to be the stimulus which reawakens Mr. John Clark to come alive, break out of his mold, reconnect with himself, his wife and his life. It is done with creativity and complexity. The plot and story development was superbly done. The tensions which arise in his life and are resolved keep the attention of the viewer throughout the film. There are hilarious moments, too such as when John Clark discovers his coworker dancing like a macho super star with all the beautiful women ... such a contrast to his typical office persona. The fact that John Clark originally became interested in ball room dancing because of seeing Paulina, the beautiful dance instructor staring out the window ... provides more counterpoint of temptation, emphasizing the humdrum relationship with his wife. The film builds interest and fascination as the relationship between John Clark who is the student and Paulina, the exquisite dance instructor develops. The big question is ... will they or won't they connect into something more?
Peter Chilsom the director did a phenomenal job of matching the right actors and actresses for the various roles. The DVD special features section was especially well done , the interview with the Director, and various actors and actresses provided wonderful insights into how the film was made and the challenges of learning ballroom dance. I deduct one star for only this reason, the film needed some long shots of scenes in Chicago. The scenes were confined to either views along the way as Mr. Clark rode the train, the inside of the dance studio, the inside of the Clark's home, Mr. Clark's office, some dark dreary street scenes, a restaurant, or the ballroom. The film begins with Mr. John Clark on the "El" and one sees very little of the city at any time during the film. Chicago has uniquely attractive buildings for which it is famous and a stunningly beautiful water front, honing in on some of these during the film, perhaps as it began or ended would have enhanced the film enormously. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
At last this film will be available.........2005-02-14
At long last, 'Shall We Dance?' is available in the UK. I LOVE this film for many reasons. First, you can see what the ordinary Japanese semi-middle class family life is like. No guns or swords, no blood, no samurai or soldiers - this is a very cultural film about modern Japan. Secondly, this movie shows how much the Japanese people admire the British culture (in this film's case the ballroom dancing, sportsmanship, and Blackpool!). If you are, or thinking about, learning Japanese, listen to how Tamako-sensei (the elderly female dance teacher) speaks. As well as speaks gently, she show the gentle heart of the traditional Japanese lady. Koji Yakusho has proved he is one of the most brilliant actors in Japan, and my favourite one is definitely Naoto Takenaka, who plays a funny funny bloke who specialises Latin dance to fill the 'gap' in his everyday life and hopefully find a nice girl too.
FYI: I have already seen the Hollywood version of this film, but it's not the same thing at all. It's supposed to be a re-make of this brilliant film, but, in my view, it's a little bit too 'Americanised' and almost feels like a different film. Maybe you can make your own judgement by watching this Japanese original first? I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Literally Unique.......2005-01-11
Nothing else like it.
Masayuki Suo's small masterpiece.
"Shall we dansu" and "Tampopo" are your must-have Japanese movies!
By the way, don't be confused by the unrelated hollywood (Richard Gere) movie of a similar title, or the 1930s Fred Astair movie "Shall we dance" (also unrelated). Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Lovely light comedy........2007-10-18
What a lovely light comedy. The characters were amusing. It was a nice glance into modern day Tokyo, and changing Japanese culture. (And a million times better than the U.S Richard Gere version).
Unexpectedly wonderful.......2007-10-06
I found this film enjoyable and refreshing. This is not a movie I chose to watch, but now I am glad I did. Richard Gere plays a man that is in very happy 19-year marriage with a wonderful family. But he feels he is missing something...his mid-life crisis perhaps. He sees Jennifer Lopez's character every night on his way home and this grabs his attention. He has to meet her, and she just happens to work at a dance studio.
So we watch as he fumbles his way into taking dance lessons in order to meet her. And he starts the dance lessons. One evening Jennifer characters tells him if he is there for her, he should quit. After taking stock in the situation, he realizes he loves dancing. Yet all this time his wife is worried that he may be having an affair.
I am pleased how the movie turned out. We need more movies where the family truly loves each other and nothing torrid happens. For there are couples that are truly happily married and people should be aware of it. This movie shows us in a genuinely soft romantic way. The cast of characters for this movie is perfect and they work well together. And the Latin and ballroom dancing is a nice medium to show us this in. Take your significant other to see this with you.
Yes, Mr. Clark, I would love to dance with you.......2007-07-02
Richard Gere plays Mr. John Clark, a contracts lawyer who commutes to and from work on the "El" (elevated train) in Chicago. Daydreaming and thinking about the day's events, he looks out the window. as he passes a red brick building with huge letters on the side, "Miss Mitzi's Dance Studio". He views Paulina, played by Jennifer Lopez, a beautiful dance instructor who is wistfully gazing out the window. He is captivated. When he sees her dancing, he is enticed to take ballroom dance lessons to help him break out of his humdrum predicatble existence. He lives in the suburbs, has two teenaged children, a girl and boy and a lovely wife of 19 years named Bev (Susan Sarandon) who is a successful department director in a high-end clothing store. He keeps his passion for dancing to himself ... until he discovers a co-worker at his office also has this secret passion.
Stanley Tucci plays a lawyer who is fascinated by sports, which he talks about at the office all the time but it is a ruse. His real passion is for dancing, which has been an interest since he was a teenager. Tucci is hilarious as he dons a wig over his otherwise bald head, during his macho dance routines. John Clark discovers his "secret" at a hot dance spot where his friend melts the dance floor and is the center of attention. Bev, John's wife, is getting suspicious why John keeps coming home late on Wednesday nights (dance lesson night). Her curiosity is further fueled by a coworker's concerns that her own husband is having an affair. One Wednesday night, Bev calls the office only to discover John had left for the day. She questions him about his activities and he explains he left the office but then had returned to finish his work (this explanation does not wash as he did not pick up the line when she called). Bev takes matters one step further and hires a private investigator to track her husband's moves, fearing an affair. Obviously, communication between them is at an all time low. They live parallel lives, sharing very little about their personal thoughts and feelings ...
Matters heat up between Paulina the dance instructor and John Clark after Miss Mitzi enrolls John and several other new students in a ballroom dance contest. John receives some one on one dance lessons with Paulina. The ballroom dance contest became the climactic experience for all the dancers. Miss Mitzi's students shone. Then an unexpected event changed the good fortune of John and his partner Bobbie. Bev and her daughter had secretly attended the performance and witnessed the circumstances. In the end, ball room dancing became the stimulus which helped revive the marriage of John Clark and his wife Bev. Ballroom dancing helped the other novice dancers discover courage in themselves and provided a successful foundation on which to build further succcess in life. Paulina also developed renewed confidence to pursue her career goals despite a setback which had initially led her back to teach dance lessons at Miss Mitzi's ...
Overall, the film was an overwhelming success in terms of how it tied together the disparate lives of some very different people who had only one thing in common, an interest in ball room dancing. The film is a huge success because of how it so beautifully conveys ball room dancing to be the stimulus which reawakens Mr. John Clark to come alive, break out of his mold, reconnect with himself, his wife and his life. It is done with creativity and complexity. The plot and story development was superbly done. The tensions which arise in his life and are resolved keep the attention of the viewer throughout the film. There are hilarious moments, too such as when John Clark discovers his coworker dancing like a macho super star with all the beautiful women ... such a contrast to his typical office persona. The fact that John Clark originally became interested in ball room dancing because of seeing Paulina, the beautiful dance instructor staring out the window ... provides more counterpoint of temptation, emphasizing the humdrum relationship with his wife. The film builds interest and fascination as the relationship between John Clark who is the student and Paulina, the exquisite dance instructor develops. The big question is ... will they or won't they connect into something more?
Peter Chilsom the director did a phenomenal job of matching the right actors and actresses for the various roles. The DVD special features section was especially well done , the interview with the Director, and various actors and actresses provided wonderful insights into how the film was made and the challenges of learning ballroom dance. I deduct one star for only this reason, the film needed some long shots of scenes in Chicago. The scenes were confined to either views along the way as Mr. Clark rode the train, the inside of the dance studio, the inside of the Clark's home, Mr. Clark's office, some dark dreary street scenes, a restaurant, or the ballroom. The film begins with Mr. John Clark on the "El" and one sees very little of the city at any time during the film. Chicago has uniquely attractive buildings for which it is famous and a stunningly beautiful water front, honing in on some of these during the film, perhaps as it began or ended would have enhanced the film enormously. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
At last this film will be available.........2005-02-14
At long last, 'Shall We Dance?' is available in the UK. I LOVE this film for many reasons. First, you can see what the ordinary Japanese semi-middle class family life is like. No guns or swords, no blood, no samurai or soldiers - this is a very cultural film about modern Japan. Secondly, this movie shows how much the Japanese people admire the British culture (in this film's case the ballroom dancing, sportsmanship, and Blackpool!). If you are, or thinking about, learning Japanese, listen to how Tamako-sensei (the elderly female dance teacher) speaks. As well as speaks gently, she show the gentle heart of the traditional Japanese lady. Koji Yakusho has proved he is one of the most brilliant actors in Japan, and my favourite one is definitely Naoto Takenaka, who plays a funny funny bloke who specialises Latin dance to fill the 'gap' in his everyday life and hopefully find a nice girl too.
FYI: I have already seen the Hollywood version of this film, but it's not the same thing at all. It's supposed to be a re-make of this brilliant film, but, in my view, it's a little bit too 'Americanised' and almost feels like a different film. Maybe you can make your own judgement by watching this Japanese original first? I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Literally Unique.......2005-01-11
Nothing else like it.
Masayuki Suo's small masterpiece.
"Shall we dansu" and "Tampopo" are your must-have Japanese movies!
By the way, don't be confused by the unrelated hollywood (Richard Gere) movie of a similar title, or the 1930s Fred Astair movie "Shall we dance" (also unrelated). Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Lovely light comedy........2007-10-18
What a lovely light comedy. The characters were amusing. It was a nice glance into modern day Tokyo, and changing Japanese culture. (And a million times better than the U.S Richard Gere version).
Unexpectedly wonderful.......2007-10-06
I found this film enjoyable and refreshing. This is not a movie I chose to watch, but now I am glad I did. Richard Gere plays a man that is in very happy 19-year marriage with a wonderful family. But he feels he is missing something...his mid-life crisis perhaps. He sees Jennifer Lopez's character every night on his way home and this grabs his attention. He has to meet her, and she just happens to work at a dance studio.
So we watch as he fumbles his way into taking dance lessons in order to meet her. And he starts the dance lessons. One evening Jennifer characters tells him if he is there for her, he should quit. After taking stock in the situation, he realizes he loves dancing. Yet all this time his wife is worried that he may be having an affair.
I am pleased how the movie turned out. We need more movies where the family truly loves each other and nothing torrid happens. For there are couples that are truly happily married and people should be aware of it. This movie shows us in a genuinely soft romantic way. The cast of characters for this movie is perfect and they work well together. And the Latin and ballroom dancing is a nice medium to show us this in. Take your significant other to see this with you.
Yes, Mr. Clark, I would love to dance with you.......2007-07-02
Richard Gere plays Mr. John Clark, a contracts lawyer who commutes to and from work on the "El" (elevated train) in Chicago. Daydreaming and thinking about the day's events, he looks out the window. as he passes a red brick building with huge letters on the side, "Miss Mitzi's Dance Studio". He views Paulina, played by Jennifer Lopez, a beautiful dance instructor who is wistfully gazing out the window. He is captivated. When he sees her dancing, he is enticed to take ballroom dance lessons to help him break out of his humdrum predicatble existence. He lives in the suburbs, has two teenaged children, a girl and boy and a lovely wife of 19 years named Bev (Susan Sarandon) who is a successful department director in a high-end clothing store. He keeps his passion for dancing to himself ... until he discovers a co-worker at his office also has this secret passion.
Stanley Tucci plays a lawyer who is fascinated by sports, which he talks about at the office all the time but it is a ruse. His real passion is for dancing, which has been an interest since he was a teenager. Tucci is hilarious as he dons a wig over his otherwise bald head, during his macho dance routines. John Clark discovers his "secret" at a hot dance spot where his friend melts the dance floor and is the center of attention. Bev, John's wife, is getting suspicious why John keeps coming home late on Wednesday nights (dance lesson night). Her curiosity is further fueled by a coworker's concerns that her own husband is having an affair. One Wednesday night, Bev calls the office only to discover John had left for the day. She questions him about his activities and he explains he left the office but then had returned to finish his work (this explanation does not wash as he did not pick up the line when she called). Bev takes matters one step further and hires a private investigator to track her husband's moves, fearing an affair. Obviously, communication between them is at an all time low. They live parallel lives, sharing very little about their personal thoughts and feelings ...
Matters heat up between Paulina the dance instructor and John Clark after Miss Mitzi enrolls John and several other new students in a ballroom dance contest. John receives some one on one dance lessons with Paulina. The ballroom dance contest became the climactic experience for all the dancers. Miss Mitzi's students shone. Then an unexpected event changed the good fortune of John and his partner Bobbie. Bev and her daughter had secretly attended the performance and witnessed the circumstances. In the end, ball room dancing became the stimulus which helped revive the marriage of John Clark and his wife Bev. Ballroom dancing helped the other novice dancers discover courage in themselves and provided a successful foundation on which to build further succcess in life. Paulina also developed renewed confidence to pursue her career goals despite a setback which had initially led her back to teach dance lessons at Miss Mitzi's ...
Overall, the film was an overwhelming success in terms of how it tied together the disparate lives of some very different people who had only one thing in common, an interest in ball room dancing. The film is a huge success because of how it so beautifully conveys ball room dancing to be the stimulus which reawakens Mr. John Clark to come alive, break out of his mold, reconnect with himself, his wife and his life. It is done with creativity and complexity. The plot and story development was superbly done. The tensions which arise in his life and are resolved keep the attention of the viewer throughout the film. There are hilarious moments, too such as when John Clark discovers his coworker dancing like a macho super star with all the beautiful women ... such a contrast to his typical office persona. The fact that John Clark originally became interested in ball room dancing because of seeing Paulina, the beautiful dance instructor staring out the window ... provides more counterpoint of temptation, emphasizing the humdrum relationship with his wife. The film builds interest and fascination as the relationship between John Clark who is the student and Paulina, the exquisite dance instructor develops. The big question is ... will they or won't they connect into something more?
Peter Chilsom the director did a phenomenal job of matching the right actors and actresses for the various roles. The DVD special features section was especially well done , the interview with the Director, and various actors and actresses provided wonderful insights into how the film was made and the challenges of learning ballroom dance. I deduct one star for only this reason, the film needed some long shots of scenes in Chicago. The scenes were confined to either views along the way as Mr. Clark rode the train, the inside of the dance studio, the inside of the Clark's home, Mr. Clark's office, some dark dreary street scenes, a restaurant, or the ballroom. The film begins with Mr. John Clark on the "El" and one sees very little of the city at any time during the film. Chicago has uniquely attractive buildings for which it is famous and a stunningly beautiful water front, honing in on some of these during the film, perhaps as it began or ended would have enhanced the film enormously. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)
At last this film will be available.........2005-02-14
At long last, 'Shall We Dance?' is available in the UK. I LOVE this film for many reasons. First, you can see what the ordinary Japanese semi-middle class family life is like. No guns or swords, no blood, no samurai or soldiers - this is a very cultural film about modern Japan. Secondly, this movie shows how much the Japanese people admire the British culture (in this film's case the ballroom dancing, sportsmanship, and Blackpool!). If you are, or thinking about, learning Japanese, listen to how Tamako-sensei (the elderly female dance teacher) speaks. As well as speaks gently, she show the gentle heart of the traditional Japanese lady. Koji Yakusho has proved he is one of the most brilliant actors in Japan, and my favourite one is definitely Naoto Takenaka, who plays a funny funny bloke who specialises Latin dance to fill the 'gap' in his everyday life and hopefully find a nice girl too.
FYI: I have already seen the Hollywood version of this film, but it's not the same thing at all. It's supposed to be a re-make of this brilliant film, but, in my view, it's a little bit too 'Americanised' and almost feels like a different film. Maybe you can make your own judgement by watching this Japanese original first? I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Literally Unique.......2005-01-11
Nothing else like it.
Masayuki Suo's small masterpiece.
"Shall we dansu" and "Tampopo" are your must-have Japanese movies!
By the way, don't be confused by the unrelated hollywood (Richard Gere) movie of a similar title, or the 1930s Fred Astair movie "Shall we dance" (also unrelated). Enjoy!
UK DVD:
- She's Having A Baby [1988]
- Sleepers [1991] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Slutty Summer [2005]
- Some Like It Hot - Special Edition [1959]
- Spaceballs (Special Edition) [1987]
- Stakeout [1988]
- Steptoe And Son : Complete BBC Series Box Set Including The Christmas Specials
- Steptoe And Son - Series 8 [1974]
- Talladega Nights - The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby [Blu-ray] [2006]
- The Adventures Of Pluto Nash [2002]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
![Shall We Dance? [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/2145VEJRN7L.jpg)
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