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"Let
It Be Me" Dance Movie Review
Article written by : Robin Chee of RpMerleon, August 1997 |
Full of excitement, we set forth at midnight to view the movie show "Let It Be Me" on its first preview night, anticipating perhaps another "Dirty Dancing". We were definitely over estimating the movie via its fascinating advertisement pictures.
"Let It Be Me"
started off with almost a similar theme as "Shall We Dance" (the award
wining show) but showing the silhouettes of the dance instructors through the
dance studio window instead of the instructress' beautiful face. The plot revolved
around 4 couples, the main leads being the established Psychiatrist Doctor who
was fascinated with the sensuous dance movements executed by the dance instructors
and wanted to learn dancing in order to dance with his bright sunny fun-loving
nursery teacher fiancee on their wedding day.
Next come the male dance instructor cum studio owner who looked like another
Patrick Swayze, who was the ex-teenage lover of the Doctor's fiancee, who caused
the cancellation of the Doctor's & his fiancee's first wedding plan, who
believed in teaching students to dance from the heart (a little bit of "Strictly
Ballroom" here) who had a love-hate relationship with his teaching partner
of which both of them wanted to expand their business by opening up another
dance studio in another country.
The 3rd couple consisted of a destitute senior jobless has-been male instructor
who managed to beg for a dance instructor position in the studio, who later
married his widowed dance pupil with moderate wealth who staged their meeting
at the dance studio just as she staged the meeting with her first husband at
a cheese burger joint. The last couple was an oddly matched married pair consisted
of a fat husband and his buxomy wife and were married for 10 years.
The husband attended dance lessons alone, who loved to dance with the best and
most beautiful woman and who believed that dancing together with his wife would
cause marital disaster. He was the one whom the Doctor turned to when seeking
advise on dancing matters or matters of the heart.
The dancing shown was very
Americanized, the Waltz was a west coast swing, the Tango was a cross between
International Modern Tango and International Latin Paso Double. However, Singapore
viewers will be able to recognize the Disco Rock (they called it the Hustle)
danced between the Male Instructor and the Doctor's Fiancee as well as the last
dance sequence which was the social samba, similar to what is being taught here.
The dance which was repeated most often throughout the movie was the Rumba which
was a mixture of International Latin Rumba cum Rock N Roll acrobatics. Singapore
viewers will also be able to recognize the dance studio settings and the studio
practice nights where dance couples practice their routines or gather for socializing.
In real life dance competition/show,
the dance routines are practiced again and again for a number of years until
perfection is achieved but in movies, somehow we wish that more dance routines
with real ballroom dancers were shown instead of repetitions by poorly trained
dancers. It was a slow moving movie with the 4 main couples being interwoven
into the plot in a slightly disjointed manner. A little bit of "Shall We
Dance", "Strictly Ballroom" and "Dirty Dancing" were
borrowed and incorporated into the movie.
One great disappointment was Jennifer Beals (who seemed to have lost a bit of
weight) who shone brightly in "Flash Dance" but was dancing mediocally
in "Let It Be Me". We would still recommend this show for viewing
but feel that it is certainly not worth missing precious sleeping hours to watch
it. 'Shall we dance' was definitely the better movie by a wide margin and probably
one of the best dance movies to date.
Rumour has it that the distributor of "Let It Be Me" tried to find
sponsors from Singapore dance schools but to no avail since there wasn't any
dance schools' logo in the advertisements.
Some of our sources have been so kind as to tell us that the new dance movie called 'Shut up and Dance' (about International Latin Competition, starring Vannessa Williams) will be released early next year (Feb 98). And yet another rumor is that 'Shall We Dance' is being remade in Hollywood. Do drop us a note if you can confirm any of these great coming movies.
Last
updated: 01 Aug 97
