Shall we Dance?; or, How to find a hobby and overcome
shyness
Dance is more than the steps. Feel the music and dance for
sheer joy.
Following New Year’s cheerful aura of hope and optimism, I wanted
to check out something more light-hearted in tone this time and, quite
unexpectedly, Shall We Dansu? popped out on TV. Not having seen it earlier, I gave the film a go and...
it pleasantly surprised me.
Release Info
Directed by: Masayuki Suo Starring: Kōji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Hideko Hara
Language: Japanese Original Title: Shall we ダンス? Runtime: 136 min
Synopsis
Shohei Sugiyama (Kōji Yakusho) is an ordinary accountant
worker, an exemplary husband, and a loving father. He seems to have accomplished
everything in life: a well-paid job, a family, and a house in the suburbs; yet,
there seems to be something lacking. Sugiyama slowly falls into depression without
even noticing. One night, when coming back from work on the subway, he notices
a woman looking out from a window of dance school. Sugiyama becomes enchanted
by her appearance and melancholic posture. He observes her attentively each
night as the train stops under the school, until one day, he finally decides to
go in and enlist himself for lessons. Initially, Sugiyama comes every week just
to be a little bit closer to inaccessible Mai Kishikawa (Tamiyo Kusakari), a
famous ballroom dancer, but, as time goes by, he discovers an immense pleasure
in his new undertaking. He is determined to learn under watchful eye of his
mentor (Reiko Kusamura) and classmates. Eventually, Suigiyama decides to take
part in an amateur competition, but what about his wife, whom he has not told
anything about?
Dansu, Dansu, Dansu
Shall We Dansu? comes off as a heart-warming story about
motivation, confidence, friendship, and love. Director (and writer) Masayuki
Suo did a great job by setting the theme of ballroom dancing (for stereotypicality of this phenomenon please refer to Strictly Ballroom (1996) and Shall we
Dance remake (2004)) in a rigid Japanese context. The result? Lots of laughs.
It’s hilarious to see the character of Shohei Sugiyama (magnificently played by the
great Kōji Yakusho) as he struggles to master the basic steps of various
dancing styles and to hide his hobby from his family as well. As a result, the
act of dancing is elevated to the symbol of a forbidden fruit.
Apart from this, dance serves as the means to socially open
up for Sugiyama as he befriends his fellow classmates. We see him interacting
with people who he probably would have never approached in different
circumstances. For instance, he hits it off quite easily with a fellow office
worker, Aoki (Naoto Takenaka), who turns out to be a rumba-obsessed maniac. In
addition, Hattori (Yu Tokui) is there because of his wife, whereas Masahiro (Hiromasa
Taguchi) due to his doctor’s suggestion. Not forgetting about Toyoko (Eriko
Watanabe), who has a rough demeanour, but is very kind at heart. To each of
these individuals dance has a different meaning. It becomes a tool with which
they change their lives.
Of course, when discussing a film about dancing, its music
can’t be overlooked. The original score composed by Yoshikazu Suo is a real
treat and a definite highlight of the picture. Apart from this, such songs as
(obviously) Shall We Dance from The King I musical and Save the Last Dance for
Me perfectly fit the film’s tone and complement it (especially during “training
montages”).
Naturally, the movie has a great cast. Kōji Yakusho shines
on the screen and makes the character of Sugiyama believable. Other actors
don’t lag behind, especially Naoto Takenaka, Eriko Watanabe, and Tamiyo
Kusakari. Hideko Hara deserves an honourable mention as Sugiayama’s wife. Even
Akira Emoto (known for Dr. Akagi) has a small supporting role.
A word of caution. Be careful which version of the film you are
watching, because there are two. The original Japanese cut (136 minutes) and
the Miramax cut for the American release (114 minutes). Allegedly, Miramax
decided to shorten the film just to squeeze in some extra featurette on the
vhs. (Like... really?) From the stuff that got cut out, there was more
background of Mai’s character, extended flashbacks from Blackpool, and more of
Toyoko’s personal story.
Recommendations
Thankfully, the film is not a standard romance flick.
Even though the affection to Mai was Sugiyama’s primary drive to sign up to
dancing classes, the adultery never came to fruition. Instead, the hero found a
new thing in life, which changed him profoundly. Highly recommended to anyone
who is not all too crazy about romantic flicks, but wants to experience
something simply joyful and heart-warming. Shall We Dansu? will definitely
uplift your mood and leave you in good spirits.
Overall score: 9/10
