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TAKE THE LEAD - Pre-release
Review
Directed by Liz Friedlander
(music videos for REM, Simple Plan)
Starring Antonio Banderas
(Zorro), Rob Brown (Coach
Carter), Alfre Woodard
(Desperate Housewives), Dante
Basco (Love Don't Cost a Thing)
Choreography by Rich Talauega
and Tone Talauega
(Hip-Hop- 2003 MTV Movie Awards)
Written by Dianne Houston
(Knights of the South Bronx)
Running Time 1 hour 48 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic
material, language and some violence
Opens April 7th, 2006
TAKE THE LEAD is based on the true story of
Pierre Dulaine:, a
professional ballroom dancer and teacher who sets out to help a group of
inner-city high school students that everyone else has written off. He feels
that by teaching them to dance, he can teach them to respect themselves and
others and show them that if they work hard, they can accomplish their
goals. At the same time, they teach him how to appreciate other styles of
dance and how to move on with his life after the death of his wife. The
program he set up in New York city is still going strong and is expanding to
other schools around the country.
I was wary of TAKE THE LEAD, at first, since many of the dance films we have
seen recently are so bad. But I am happy to say I was blown away by this
film. The dancing is outstanding. The dance scenes and sequences are fun,
technically perfect, and dripping with humor. The characters are so vivid
and true in the dance sequences and the audience is not only rooting for
them, they want to get up and dance with them! I have never heard
spontaneous clapping in a screening like I did in this film since KING KONG.
The storyline is a bit cliched and does get tedious in some of the
non-dancing scenes, but the power of the dance sequences more than makes up
for it. Reminiscent of FAME and SAVE THE LAST DANCE, this film is high
energy and up to date. It was amazing the way they have blended Ballroom
Dance and Hip-Hop in an almost seamless way. I think fans of Ballroom
Dancing and more classical types of music will come to appreciate Hip-Hop
and many will have a new respect for Ballroom and it's associated music.
All of the actors in this film do a great job. Antonio Banderas is
commanding and sympathetic as Dulaine. And did I mention sexy?! I think all
of his female fans will be quite pleased with this film. The actors and
dancers playing the high school students are very believable even when
challenged with eye-rolling plot devices. Their dance performances are
something to watch.
The soundtrack is off the hook. People were asking where they could buy it
before the screening even let out! There are great songs by George and Ira
Gershwin which are given a 2006 update with the help of Q-Tip, as well as
contributions by the Black Eyed Peas. (Soundtrack will be released on April
4, 2006).
The direction is quite good. There are many juxtaposed shots particularly in
the beginning of the ballroom studio and the high school students hip-hop
which are very well done. I think that Friedlander's work in music videos
was the perfect background to direct this kind of film.
A fun film that makes you want to get up out of your seat with laugh out
loud moments and lots of high energy.
4 out of 5
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