Strictly Ballroom (1992)

A campy, glossy, colorful, surprising fairy tale, total romance, lots of dancing, and inventive through and through. No, director Baz Luhmann has not pulled off another Moulin Rouge, which is a whole other order of invention and beauty, but this is his first movie, and it's filled with idealism. And some people to root for and to hiss against--you know, heroes and villains.

It could have been tightened up, no doubt--there are times when I was a little impatient even though they were dancing away. But mostly I was happy to watch and wait for the next step toward the big climax.

The two young leads, interestingly, came from nowhere (the perfectly named Paul Mercurio and the understated Tara Morice both in their first films). They've gone on to largely television careers, and in part you appreciate how much Luhmann gets from them. The highly stylized approach helps avoid a need for real acting, per se, but Mercurio in particular really rises to the occasion. The whole affair is Australian, and it feels bright and original the way some of fellow Aussie Peter Weir's films do, or in another sense, Peter Jackson.

If you can summon up any innocence and romance and go for what really clicks here, be swept up and love it.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this so imagine my surprise when I found out that I absolutely loved it! Contains and comprises all the right ingredients, perfectly proportioned, blended and mixed to make you laugh, cry, smile and grimace. Slip on your dancing shoes, glide onto the dance floor and free yourself for ninety minutes of antipodean ballroom brilliance.

Many Australian movies use the theme of communication issues (think "Walkabout", "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "Crocodile Dundee"). Some people might question whether or not "Strictly Ballroom" belongs in that group, but I would say that it does. You see, dancing is a form of physical communication, and so the characters here get to know each other that way.

But even ignoring that, it's a pretty fascinating movie. Baz Luhrmann was certainly showing the sorts of things that he would later bring to "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!".

Starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter, Barry Otto and Gia Carides.