Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Griff Lees
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Brennan Camacho
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
Python Hyena
Dance With Me (1998): Dir: Randa Haines / Cast: Vanessa Williams, Chayanne, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Plowright, Jane Krakowski: Misfire film about engagement of personalities. It is an inner request by the film's heroine in her need for companionship. Chayanne is from Cuba and he travels to Texas to accept a job at a dance club and meet his father. Kris Kristofferson fills that role and helps him get settled in. He meets a fascinating dancer but the father of her daughter is a successful dancer too. Directed by Randa Haines who previously made Children of a Lesser God and again creates relationships through expression and talent. Vanessa Williams is an engaging actress despite the predictable storytelling. She is a festive dancer and pulls of all the stops with her dance partner. Chayanne delivers the best performance as someone seeking opportunity and discovers romance and a reuniting with his father. However, it isn't difficult to predict where this is all heading. Kristofferson as Chayanne's father is standard, and Joan Plowright is subdued with a useless cardboard role. Jane Krakowski plays one of the one dimensional dancers. The dancing is graceful and certainly presents a positive distraction from the flimsy writing. With that said, the film's theme seems to work as an expression through artistic talent. It is about the love of dancing not the nature of it. Score: 5 / 10
jimakros
The mistake with this movie is that it doesn't have some hit tune to promote it.A hit tune has made hits out of very mediocre movies.Even though both leads can sing neither of them does in this movie and i believe thats why no one has ever heard of it. Other than that its a very nice movie,with a likable plot,solid acting and dazzling dancing.This could have easily been a huge hit if only it had some catchy tune.There's plenty of Latin music in it but not any original hit.The male lead is handsome,likable and gives a solid acting performance,his dancing is OK but less impressive.There's good support from star Kristofferson and some decent character actors. I was astounded by miss William's dancing in this movie.She is incredible.Just the kind of performance one would expect from movies like Chicago but there were none there,there is plenty here,but the other movie wins an Oscar and this one is unknown.Go figure.Don't be fooled by the low rating of this movie.I have no idea who are the people who vote,if you like Latin music and dancing this is a must.
mathmaniac
I recall seeing 'Saturday Night Fever' (talk about your clichéd movie plots!) and leaving the theater with nothing but the dancing of John Travolta on my mind. That movie was a huge hit, the music was terrific, and to my mind, it made John Travolta a star.This movie gives me the same feeling. Why was it not a similar hit?I've watched it scores of times. Chayanne and Vanessa Williams have credible chemistry on-screen and the plot, although kind of standard, is interesting enough to carry the action.In particular, I always come back to this movie to watch the dancing. It is simply spectacular. The scene where Chayanne and Vanessa Williams' characters reach a kind of truce because they love to dance and like each other - so they go on a second date - is simply amazing. They arrive at the nightclub where they had a failed first date and the crowd parts to let them in to a kind of Latin musical dance fest where the music doesn't seem to stop long enough for anyone to sit down and catch a breath. They are immediately caught up in the swirl and almost as soon, they part and go off in different directions, passing each other, picking up different partners and having a wonderful time to the fantastic music. The scene is not about them, it's about the crowd and the sheer joy of dancing to Latin music - which in this case is not sultry and sensuous one-to-one dancing but an all-out bacchanalia of multiple partners and a pounding beat. Wonderful, wonderful!Everything about this film feels so natural and relaxed. It's like a breath of fresh air. It's not fair to compare it to 'Strictly Ballroom' directed by Baz Luhrmann. I love his movies but I appreciate them for being grand operatic extravaganzas. 'Strictly Ballroom' was certainly that. 'Dance with Me' will always be one of my favorite movies and now I've got a crush on Chayanne that just won't quit.
malcotoro
I simply love this movie, I have the DVD and I am watching it again. I love it... Vannessa Williams is a very good actress in this film, I have not seen a lot of her work but she shines, and she is visually stunning, beautiful and I really appreciate the gradual warming of her relationship with Chayanne, he is so handsome and charming. Who is this guy Chayanne? So very personable and charismatic, I want to know where he came from... He is great and a surefire popular man for the ladies to swoon over... There is definite chemistry between them, Vanessa and Chayanne. Joan Plowright is one of the dance team, married in real life to Laurence Olivier and a remarkable actress, so the fact that she chose to be in this movie is a point to note. Kris Kristofferson also gives a fine performance as the long lost father we come to know about. The dancing in the movie is superb, there is a lot of dancing...dancing lessons in a dance studio, but the storyline progresses well even if you don't like dancing. After watching this, you will. Oh, it's just great, I am already feeling the glow from watching it, you will too ...have to get back to the screen to see more of this underrated little movie Malcolm in Toronto Jan 2013
