☼ my first film review: Take the Lead

This shit was a requirement for my English IV. Just wanna share, some info and comments are from other websites. I give due credit to http://www.imdb.com for their large contribution to my film review.
                                                                                            

Download in MS Word: http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/10/756348/Take%20the%20lead.doc

I. Introduction

 

 

 

 

                Title:                                                                         Take the Lead

 

 

 

 

                Producers:                                                              Christopher Godsick

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Michelle Grace

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Diane Nabatoff

 

 

 

 

                Director:                                                  Liz Friedlander       

 

 

 

 

                Musical Scoring:                                      Swizz Beats

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Aaron Zigman

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Rob Bertola

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Josh Evans

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Mark DeSimone

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Paula Fairfield

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Michael Ferdie

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                Jeffrey Potokar

 

 

 

 

                Scriptwriter:                                                            Samantha Armstrong

 

 

 

 

                Cast of Characters and Roles:              

 

 

Antonio Banderas (Pierre Dulaine) - Pierre is a person

 

 

 

 

who can walk into a room, command attention and convince you to do the impossible. He has

 

 

 

 

presence and charisma, and so does Antonio. He’s such a good person that you know that he

 

 

 

 

would have the purity of heart to bring insight to the character. He understands what it is to give.

 

 

 

 

Yaya DaCosta (Larhette) - a student who comes into her

 

 

 

 

own through the process of taking Pierre's classes. Larhette is transformed through dance. She

 

 

 

 

becomes more assured because she has discovered something that gives her life meaning.

 

 

 

 

Alfre Woodard (Augustine James) - the principal who

 

 

 

 

allows Pierre Dulaine to teach. Augustine is about solving problems, and will do what's necessary.

 

 

 

 

She sees possibilities in Pierre. She tricks him into teaching her most problematic charges that

 

 

 

 

spend their time in detention hall.  When she sees that they listen to him, she has to recognize and

 

 

 

 

respect that.

 

 

 

 

Jenna Dewan (Sasha), Dante Basco (Ramos) and Elijah

 

 

 

 

Kelley (Danjou) – they were really strong dancers in the movie.

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Malen (Kurd) – Kurd’s charm lies in the fact that

 

 

 

 

he isn't a dancer at all. But in the end, he was comprised to dance.

 

 

 

 

Katya Virshilas (Morgan) - an accomplished ballroom

 

 

 

 

dancer, someone who " was a really, really good dancer." A trained ballroom dancer who has also

 

 

 

 

competed extensively.

 

 

 

 

John Ortiz (Mr. Temple) – a teacher who opposes the

 

 

 

 

idea of Pierre Dulaine in the school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

II. Summary of the Movie

 

 

 

 

Antonio Banderas stars in Take the Lead, a drama inspired by the true story of Pierre

 

 

 

 

Dulaine, an inspirational Manhattan dance teacher and competitor who volunteers his time to teach

 

 

 

 

ballroom dancing to a diverse group of New York inner-city high school students serving detention.

 

 

 

 

The students are initially skeptical of Dulaine, especially when they learn what he's there to

 

 

 

 

teach them, but his unwavering commitment and dedication slowly inspire them to embrace his

 

 

 

 

program. In fact, they even take it one step further and combine Dulaine's classical dance with

 

 

 

 

their unique hip-hop style and music to create a high-energy, unique fusion. As Dulaine becomes a

 

 

 

 

mentor for his students, many of whom haven't had much to strive towards in their lives, he

 

 

 

 

inspires them to hone their craft for a prestigious city ballroom competition, and in return they share

 

 

 

 

with each other valuable lessons about pride, respect and honor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

III. Guide Questions for Evaluation

 

 

 

 

1.        How did the picture affect you? What meaning did you derive from it?

 

 

The picture affect me in many ways, especially before I wanted to join secretly a

 

 

 

 

dance class and this film will (hopefully) push me to past my fears and have my dancing in no

 

 

 

 

time. I had also learned many things from the rarefied, especially disciplined in the world of

 

 

 

 

ballroom dancing. "Partner dancing is definitely a challenge for people from the hip-hop world

 

 

 

 

because hip-hop dance is about one's self. Ballroom is a totally different animal, you have to be

 

 

 

 

one with your partner; you have to look like twins."

 

 

 

 

                        The meaning that I derive from the story is to: never follow, always take the lead!

 

 

 

 

2.        Is the story life-like? Did the film sacrifice truth to romance? Are the events plausible?

 

 

 

 

Yes, the story is life liked. And it is a true story, some of the relationships or

 

 

 

 

developments seem just too trite and stereotyped — and yet the portrayals are enjoyable

 

 

 

 

enough that ultimately you don't care. It also charts the progress of the relationship of Rock

 

 

 

 

and Larhette. Their initial animosity towards each other evolves into a meeting of minds and

 

 

 

 

hearts. In the beginning, they blame each other, by association, for the death of their

 

 

 

 

brothers. Brown explains, "There's always tension whenever they're together. Pierre forces

 

 

 

 

them to work that tension out by partnering them in the waltz. So not only are they enemies

 

 

 

 

that have to deal with each other, but they have to deal with each other face-to-face, eye-to-

 

 

 

 

eye." In the process Rock and Larhette not only learn to waltz, they also learn to trust and

 

 

 

 

care for each other.

 

 

               

 

 

                The events were really plausible, the entire film depends on Banderas' energy and

 

 

 

 

wit. He fills the film with energy and wit and excites everyone in the film. I really enjoyed the

 

 

 

 

superbly choreographed dance sequences as it brings about different cultures together and

 

 

 

 

shows how much fun it could be. It’s really enthralling.

 

 

 

 

3.        Were the actors well-chosen for the parts? Did their performance show consistency and

 

 

 

 

naturalness?

 

 

 

 

Yes, the actors were well chosen. Overall I thought the acting was well done. The

 

 

 

 

dancing was great (both the hip hop dancing and the ballroom). And while I am not a huge

 

 

 

 

Antonio Banderas fan, I thought he was excellent, and I really liked him. He was able to be

 

 

 

 

the star of the movie, but not the center of attention at all times. He looked good and

 

 

 

 

seemed to provide a different element to what could have been the same old "help the inner

 

 

 

 

city kids find hope" story. The script and dialogue had nothing too cheesy or corny, which is

 

 

 

 

usually found in "feel good" films, or movies about high school students. There are plenty of

 

 

 

 

funny parts, as well as enough drama and interesting character conflicts to keep everything

 

 

 

 

interesting.

 

 

 

 

4.        How did the sets, costumes and music, sound effects and editing contributes in producing

 

 

 

 

the desired result?

 

 

 

 

While the film is occasionally edgy and dark, the music and dance makes this

 

 

 

 

strangely a light and entertaining watch for most of the time. And the music and dance are

 

 

 

 

eclectic – from Gershwin to 50 Cents and from Tango to slow motion Breakdance.

 

 

 

 

5.        What do you think are the writer’s and directors purposes in the film? How did they achieve

 

 

 

 

their purpose? In what way did they fail to achieve their purpose?

 

 

 

 

                Maybe the writer’s and the directors became fascinated with the idea of a man

 

 

 

 

teaching young inner city kids to ballroom dance. They were determined to find him and

 

 

 

 

discover his story. Their purpose is to show the social relevance of classical ballroom

 

 

 

 

dancing to the modern day world. It shows how Pierre attempts to give hope to the students

 

 

 

 

by having them make good choices. Pierre's tools are his own spirit, grace, sacrifice and

 

 

 

 

charm. He wills his way into getting respect from the students. In the end, Pierre Dulaine’s

 

 

 

 

purpose was achieve.