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Has anyone seen this yet? I saw it last night and really enjoyed it. Against my will, I have come to really like Richard Gere. *shudders* I never thought I would say that after I saw First Knight, but now I've said it. He was very endearing in this movie and I thought he gave an honest performance. Stanley Tucci was fun and this was a good role for him after real loser movies like....The Core for instance. *shudders again*
I usually really enjoy Jennifer Lopez (when she's acting and not staring at me from the magazine covers in the checkout line.) She overdid her brooding schtik a little too much in this movie, but her dancing is fun to watch and you end up liking her at the end. Susan Sarandon was great.
The story is pretty weak. Actually, it's a great premise, I just don't think they made it realistic enough, especially when they lamely tried to explain WHY he started taking dancing lessons at THAT studio on THAT particular day. I mean, we all knew about the general dissatisfaction with his own life and stuff but...maybe some of you can tell me what you think.
I did like this movie though because it's not a romantic comedy. It's not an overblown melodrama. It's not an action flick. Instead, it tries really hard to tell a story about real life, a real married couple, and a real guy. Most of the time, it succeeds (in my humble opinion.)
This past year I watched my dad (who is 57) take flying lessons and get his pilot's lisence. It's something he's always wanted to do. It was the first time that I can remember him spending a large amount of money on something for HIM. My mother was awesome, and even though we really couldn't afford it, she supported him in it because it made him happy. This movie reminded me of him. I ejoyed it.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I've kinda wanted to see that movie, just for the fact that I being doing ballroom dance for about 2 years now, and I'm interested in seeing that aspect of it. Maybe I'll take a night and go see it. Though it does seem like too much of a "Chick flick" for me to see by myself. Maybe I'll go see it under the guise of "Research" Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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See the Japanese version. It's really, really good and funny... *does not know why they did an American remake of that movie*
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Not only that, but they just copied a lot of the shots and stuff from the japanese version wholesale into the american version, most of the preview was straight out of the original, for instance.
However, the stigma associated with dance in japan and the repressive behavior combined with absurd acting out at bars and such encouraged in salarymen brings a lot more depth to the japanese version.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I just saw this tonight, and I have seen both versions.
I liked this. Like Narnia, I find myself, against my will, liking Richard Gere. I adored Susan Sarandon's character. Lopez's scenes weren't terribly well-written, I don't think, and not everything adds up logically in the movie, but I liked it nonetheless.
The Japanese version was wonderful and had a deeper resonance due to the national culture there. It was sort of hard to see this movie - the Japanese version is an old friend's favorite movie.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Like everyone else, I'd reccommend the Japanese film. The whole motivation and premise are different in that cultural context, and the reasoning behind his actions makes a lot more sense.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Yay for your dad, Cecily! I remember his excitement in the very brief minutes we met him during our visit at the beginning of the year! We really do need to get a PNW get-together and go visit the Science Fiction museum in Seattle or something . . .
Thanks for the movie review - it sounds like its worth the dollars to go see - Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Holy crap. When I started reading the first post in this thread, I was thinking, "Great, now everyone is going to be praising this movie and saying how awesome it is, and I'm going to have to ruin it by mentioning that it was ripped off from a Japanese movie." But it turns out that, not only does everyone already know that, but a lot of you have actually seen the Japanese version! Go Hatrack!
Anyway, yeah, I loved the Japanese version. I find it hard to imagine that the American version could have the same resonance, due to cultural differences already pointed out in this thread. But since I haven't seen it yet, I am forced to withhold judgment. When I do see it, I suspect it will probably just make me want to watch the original again. Think I'll check yesasia.com to see if they have it available on DVD. . . .
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I cannot stand Jennifer Lopez. She annoys me on just about every level imaginable. I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie anyway, but because she is in it, I will purposely avoid it.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Another recommendation for the original Japanese version. I've probably seen it five or six times, and it's always just as fresh as the first time. It's just a beautiful film.
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The Japanese title is "Shall We ダンス?" The katakana characters, for those of you who can see them, are pronounced "dansu", which is nothing more or less than the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "dance".
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Silly people posting before me. *sigh* the one small downside of tabbed browsing is a slightly longer posting delay due to reading other threads.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Just saw this movie myself last night - made me want to see the Japanese version... while I enjoyed it, the mixed japanese/american idioms made for some 'interesting' stylistic & character decisions...
But the bit that caught me - and why I'm writing this post - Did anyone pay any attention to the Peter Gabriel cover of "Book of Love"? It's one of the most beautiful ballads I've heard in a while, and Gabriel's rusty-toned voice just makes it hit straight to my hair-standy-upy bits.
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998
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Luv, luv, luv the Japanese movie! I haven't been interested in seeing an American remake of such a supurb film.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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*shrug* I haven't seen the Japanese version, and I have no idea where I could get it, but I saw the American version recently and I enjoyed it very much. Mighta just been the mood I was in, but I really needed to see a movie like this when I did.
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Oooh! If only you were in Portland, I would drag you over to the Viscount. You have to come visit just so we can go dancing.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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He was very endearing in this movie and I thought he gave an honest performance. Stanley Tucci was fun and this was a good role for him after real loser movies like....The Core for instance. *shudders again*
