Maidgethma Wonderfully offbeat film!

InspireGato Film Perfection

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

tanchimc-11296 Such a smart, funny, beautiful movie! Pays attention to details, has very likable actors, superb dancing, great script.Even though its a small budget movie, i just really loved how carefully they've directed it, haven't seen any goofs or superficial scripting and even though it seems predictable at first glance, it surprises in every level! I never liked Billy Zane and this is the first role that he is very cute and funny.It suits him well! This is one movie you have to see, if you are romantic and love dance! I have to write 2 more lines, i don't understand this silly rule, so let me repeat again and again, this movie is wonderful and if you like dance, comedy and romance, sit tight and enjoy the movie night!

steel_indigo It is clear that most who reviewed this film know very little about the type of dancing in this movie. No this particular story or dance has not been shown in any movie in quite this way. The movie is based a lot on actual experiences the writer had which was Tom Malloy who portrayed the deaf dancing teacher. Therefore they used real competition dancers throughout the movie. Many of the professional dancers played various parts in different dance numbers and these were the best of the best. Tom Malloy got the idea concerning his character learning there were actual deaf dancers like this and most do turn off their hearing aids while they are dancing as he showed.Many scenes were taken from real life experiences or one's the author was told about like Billy Zane's bag dance which is done at some weddings. There is no major plot except the life of competition dancing for those who do West Coast Swing and the budding romance of the main two characters. Props are not allowed in this type of competition but since it was a film they took some liberties. All of the main dancers are award winning dancers. Nicola Royston is the wife of the man who did the MC part, Robert Royston. He is considered the best West Coast Swing Dancer in the world and she had done stage acting previously. So that was a treat.This was an Indie film and they struggled even getting the funds to make it and considering who was in it and behind it they did something wonderful. The film was supposed to be where the skyline showed. The fact they filmed much of it in NM isn't relevant. It wasn't a mistake. I absolutely love this film, it is unique. The director actually had a dance background even though he is known for other types of things. Billy Zane was hilarious and did a lot of ad-libs throughout the movie.Tom Malloy and Amy Smart do almost all their own dancing. He had nine years in West Coast Swing dancing and she actually did have a ballet background from 4 to 14 and after that jazz dancing but not this type. It was only at the end they added in doubles to help the look of the last dance in the competition. Malloy didn't know until they went to film and was a little miffed but it got sorted out. Therefore part of it is Tom and Amy and some the doubles. You see them sitting in the audience earlier in the movie. They are the two sitting where the man tells the woman that Tom's character is deaf. There are parts that removed cues that he was deaf because they went from a long short to close up. As for the phone, his phone may have figuratively had an amplifier in it so he could hear with his hearing aids. Being declared deaf doesn't necessarily mean that one cannot hear. Some hear certain things and not others and some are stone cold deaf. His character was not born deaf nor was all his hearing gone but enough to be declared deaf. He only stated how he knew what the kids were saying. He did not go into any other aspect of the character's hearing or any fixes he had concerning it.All in all if you know what the movie is about it did what it was designed to do. Some may know Tom Malloy from other films. He was the writer, and producer of the movie The Alphabet Killer and also had an acting part. He also actually does motivational speaking. Get a DVD and listen to the background behind this movie. Love N' Dancing is one of my favorites and I have watched it many times. If you don't like the feel good type of movie that is musical then this wouldn't be your cup of tea, but it is clever and a very entertaining film.

mollidew I have seen some discrepancies on the storyline stated here. I have watched this movie many times but Amy Smart's character said she took ballet between 4 and 12 years of age. I don't remember her stating she had Broadway aspirations. The movie does speak loudly about disabilities and if you buy the movie you find out that one of the dancers is deaf. Tom Malloy mentions it in the commentary he does with Amy Smart on the DVD. This was an independent movie that almost went belly up and I have to say they did a really good job. It isn't about what type of dancing is better than another but about this man who rises above it all due to his disability to become a successful dance instructor and competitor. This in no way is a chick flick. There were too many males dedicated to the making of this movie. Many who compete and love this type of dancing. This story is not like any movie I have ever seen before other than it is about dancing. It was about life. A couple are planning to marry and Amy's character wants to learn to dance for her wedding after she see's Tom Malloy's character dance where she teaches. Billy Zane's character is married to his job. Through this experience they come to find out they aren't right for each other. Tom's character and Amy's fall in love. That of course was expected and I would suppose most expected them to win the competition. Basically what they stated is they knew they weren't good enough to win a competition like that but it was that their characters tried and they won later.Tom Malloy and Amy Smart should be commended since they actually did most of the dancing in the movie and usually when their doubles came it was to do some of the lifts. They spent hours on end perfecting their dancing. Billy Zane is hilarious in this movie and a lot of his dialog was ad libbed.There were friends and family in the movie and this is pointed out in the commentary. This is one thing I prefer about owning the DVD to just watching the movie. It gives great insight to the making of the film and the amount of effort it took and why they did scenes the way they did. I loved it from the first sitting because it isn't violent, bloody, or full of foul language. It is just a good movie without all the shock value that is so prevalent these days.

templer_doom-1 Having been a West Coast Swing dancer for 5 years in the UK, it was great to finally see this film in a cinema in San Diego across from the annual Swing Diego dance convention. Anticipation has been high for this film over the last year or so, which has been given a limited cinema release. In the UK, it has only been available on satellite through Sky, so it was nice to catch it in a proper cinematic environment.Devotees of the dance style will have a ball spotting some of their favourite pros in some sequences. The likes of Ronnie Debennetta, Brandi Tobias, Jordan Frisbee, Tatiana Mollmann, Parker Dearborn, Jessica Cox and others who work and teach tirelessly during the calendar year at events both US and Internationally serve as competent supporting players in a movie in the style of STRICTLY BALLROOM.Tom Malloy plays a former US Swing champion who gives a lecture on disability to a school and reveals his talent to a class of students. A teacher at the school wants to sign up her fiancé for dance lessons, but his devotion to the deal rather than her prompts her to follow through herself.Robert Iscove, who directed SHE'S ALL THAT (memorable for the prom dance to Fatboy Slim and who has a long history of dance choreography) does admirably and refreshingly the issue of deafness in an individual is sensitively handled. The dance sequences are staged well and the more astute amongst WCS dancers keen to see the style portrayed in cinematic form will not be disappointed.Hopefully, this will be the start-off point for more films along the same lines.