7.4 stars.
The dancing is good. I didn't know either one of these actors could do those steps, but they demonstrate right in front of us, and it's fun to watch. The plot is as basic as they come, nothing original to stimulate the viewers. What it lacks in originality, it compensates for with an entertaining portrayal of a dance instructor helping a woman who has suffered a recent breakup. As they dance their way into love, we are caught up in the magic.
As the formula goes, Chabert's character has been rejected by her fiance, because he has placed his career above their plans for marriage. In spite of the breakup, she follows through with their pre-wedding dance classes and decides to attend solo. As it goes, she and the dance instructor hit it off. The last 10 minutes elevates the movie, so stick with it.
There are a few things difficult to believe. This dance instructor at his age, as handsome as he is, and equally charismatic, would NOT be single. He has seemingly no life outside of his studie, and yet he is immediately attracted to Chabert's character? The odds he would be smitten by a forlorn woman with no dancing skills is a stretch of the imagination. I find the whole chain of circumstances to be unlikely.
The major snag of the film is the disinformation we are fed. Hallmark writers often characterize the other guy as being the "bad guy" as he pursues what appears to be a distasteful course of action. In this case, after the breakup, the ex-fiance has a change of heart and delivers dozens of flowers to her office. Subsequently he tracks down the dance instructor and puts him in his place. Of course, he is civilized in his scolding, telling the instructor that his "services" are no longer required, because he is back in his ex-fiance's life (which isn't true). The film deliberately portrays the ex-fiance as a bully, casting a shadow on him. And yet, social norms dictate that every action he takes in this story would be effective in winning her back. Listen to the millions of women who say the one reason she finally decided to say "yes" was because of his persistence. "He never gave up", or "I couldn't shake him no matter how many times I tried." Sure, in this situation he seemed a bit too forceful with the dance instructor, but that's how you guard your territory. Let's face it, the responsibility of securing a long-term relationship rests upon the man or woman who is willing to fight, to do whatever it takes. Any woman will tell you that the man who fought most fiercely for her affections was the one she married. Once again, nice guys finish last everywhere but Hallmarkland.
The dancing is good. I didn't know either one of these actors could do those steps, but they demonstrate right in front of us, and it's fun to watch. The plot is as basic as they come, nothing original to stimulate the viewers. What it lacks in originality, it compensates for with an entertaining portrayal of a dance instructor helping a woman who has suffered a recent breakup. As they dance their way into love, we are caught up in the magic.
As the formula goes, Chabert's character has been rejected by her fiance, because he has placed his career above their plans for marriage. In spite of the breakup, she follows through with their pre-wedding dance classes and decides to attend solo. As it goes, she and the dance instructor hit it off. The last 10 minutes elevates the movie, so stick with it.
There are a few things difficult to believe. This dance instructor at his age, as handsome as he is, and equally charismatic, would NOT be single. He has seemingly no life outside of his studie, and yet he is immediately attracted to Chabert's character? The odds he would be smitten by a forlorn woman with no dancing skills is a stretch of the imagination. I find the whole chain of circumstances to be unlikely.
The major snag of the film is the disinformation we are fed. Hallmark writers often characterize the other guy as being the "bad guy" as he pursues what appears to be a distasteful course of action. In this case, after the breakup, the ex-fiance has a change of heart and delivers dozens of flowers to her office. Subsequently he tracks down the dance instructor and puts him in his place. Of course, he is civilized in his scolding, telling the instructor that his "services" are no longer required, because he is back in his ex-fiance's life (which isn't true). The film deliberately portrays the ex-fiance as a bully, casting a shadow on him. And yet, social norms dictate that every action he takes in this story would be effective in winning her back. Listen to the millions of women who say the one reason she finally decided to say "yes" was because of his persistence. "He never gave up", or "I couldn't shake him no matter how many times I tried." Sure, in this situation he seemed a bit too forceful with the dance instructor, but that's how you guard your territory. Let's face it, the responsibility of securing a long-term relationship rests upon the man or woman who is willing to fight, to do whatever it takes. Any woman will tell you that the man who fought most fiercely for her affections was the one she married. Once again, nice guys finish last everywhere but Hallmarkland.