Shall We Dance? (1996) [Film Review]

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

The Tournament (1974) [Film Review]

The Tournament; or, Angela Mao vs. Thailand

This week’s review will be about a movie from Angela Mao Ying’s golden years at Golden Harvest Productions. In the early 70’s she starred in such martial arts classics as Hapkido (1972), When Taekwondo Strikes (1973), and The Tournament (1974) (not forgetting about her small fighting role in Enter the Dragon). As I have accidentally stumbled upon The Tournament, I thought it would be a good idea to review this somewhat overshadowed film by the awe of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

Release Info

Directed by: Wong Fung Starring: Angela Mao Ying, Carter Wong, Guan Shan, Got Heung-Ting

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 中泰拳壇生死戰 Movie Industry: Hong Kong Runtime: 94 min

Plot

A sister of a martial arts student is kidnapped by gangsters. They are willing to give her back in exchange for ransom, which the brother does not have. However, he heard about Thai boxing matches for money. Thus, he goes to his master (Got Heung-Ting) for help. The master has doubts about going to Thailand and putting out Kung Fu against Thai boxing, but he eventually agrees. Unfortunately, the student dies on the ring and ashamed master Liu returns to Hong Kong. The Martial Arts Association turns its back on him and revokes his membership. Devastated master commits suicide. Nevertheless, his daughter Lau Siu-Fung (Angela Mao) and son (Carter Wong) decide to avenge their father by taking on the oblivious members of the association and Thai boxers. Some sorry asses are about to get kicked!

Hail to Kung Fu

Surprisingly, The Tournament is a pleasant watch and it delivers its main premise: Angela Mao beating up random thugs back to Qin dynasty. The beginning is very slow-paced and a bit confusing, so you have to pay attention to details, but it perfectly establishes the drama (master Liu’s loss of honour) and the emotional motivation for the character of Feng. As a result, it is all the more enjoyable when the real fighting starts 40 minutes into the film.

In addition, in a similar fashion to Hapkido (1972), the movie contains anti-Japanese undertones as Feng not only has to face fellow Kung Fu masters, but also Karate students who want to take over her house. This creates an explosive mix halfway through the movie and an excellent opportunity to display some of the best battles with Angela. We see her beating the living hell out of the Chinese, the Japanese, and… Sammo Hung himself (another time when Sammo got bashed by Angela was in When Taekwondo Strikes (1973)).

When hordes of opponents finally give in, Feng and her brother finally to travel to Thailand (accompanied by a catchy incidental music that might have inspired Lalo Schifrin when composing Rush Hour score) and, obviously, go against the Thais. Sadly, Carter Wong is nothing more than just a punching bag in the story and the whole burden of saving the day rests on Angela’s shoulders. This is especially visible in the boxing matches (very well choreographed) as well as in the finale in Ayutthaya (thumbs up for shooting on the real location). However, Golden Harvest had to utilise yet another stereotype by putting Angela against (some random but intimidating) foreigner towards the end of the film. Still again, it’s a joy to watch her in action.

 

Recommendations

If you are tired of re-watching Bruce Lee flicks, you can safely turn to Angela Mao. The Tournament is one of my personal favourites from Angela’s repertoire and I safely recommend it to anyone who is in dire need of great (but not unbelievable) kung fu battles. In my view, Angela was incredibly fluent, vibrant, and convincing in her fighting scenes. Needless to say, I have to agree with the opinion of others that Angela Mao was indeed the real deal and the true Lady Whirlwind.

Overall score: 8/10

Madaari (2016) [Film Review]

Madaari; or, Justice for All

     The Hawk swooped on the prey and carried it away... Story sounds believable, but you don't like to hear it... The prey then attacked the hawk...sounds unbelievable, but is so pleasing to hear...

This week’s review will be about the latest film with Irrfan Khan in the leading role. Obviously, I’m referring to Madaari (The Puppeteer) which had its premiere in July, 2016 in India. Inspired by a real-life accident, the movie puts to question the integrity of Indian political system and stigmatises its most condemning aspect: corruption.

Release Info

Directed by: Nishikant Kamat Starring: Irrfan Khan, Vishesh Bansal, Jimmy Shergill, Tushar Dalvi

Language: Hindi Movie Industry: Bollywood Runtime: 134 min

 

Synopsis

Nirmal Kumar (Irrfan) was a happy single parent with a steady job. Unfortunately, his son Apu (Kedar Bagaria) died on his way to school due to a bridge collapse. Devastated father is not able to stop mourning after the death of his child. All of a sudden, Nirmal finds a new purpose in life: to track down and punish those responsible for the accident. As a result, he devises a sophisticated plan which centers on kidnapping the son of the Home Minister (Tushar Dalvi). By the act of kidnapping, he intends to force the Minister to find the culprits who built the faulty bridge. As Nirmal finds himself on the run across India with 8-year-old Rohan (Vishesh Bansal), mainstream media pick up the subject and hail Nirmal as a hero of the common people.

The Ultimate Puppeteer

First of all, it should be made clear that Madaari is the film that was inspired by true events (as stated in the original trailer) not based on them. The difference between the two words may be small, but as I have not paid close attention to the statement in the trailer, my suspension of disbelief had to go through the roof while watching the actual movie. In other words, Madaari takes a real event and positions it as a starting point for a fictional tale of seeking justice and criticising the government.

Despite its hardly plausible plot (a guy kidnapping the son of a politician and evading the police for a long period of time in spite of the media buzz) the film is entertaining and easy to watch primarily due to the reliance on "the individual vs. the system” theme. In addition, Madaari thrives as an engaging thriller because of exploring the dynamics between its vivid characters. Irrfan Khan gives a brilliant (even an Oscar-worthy I would say) performance as a man who has nothing to lose and wants to give the establishment a lesson. Vishesh Bansal does well as Rohan, a spoiled “prince” who gradually befriends Nirmal, but the chemistry between them is not the core of the picture.

Madaari’s true heart is the electrifying finale, which provides the viewers with a vengeful self-satisfaction as if straight from Law Abiding Citizen (2009) and Straw Dogs (1971). However, in contrast to these movies, Nirmal’s revenge is not a morbid one. Instead, the film slams the audience with a shocking message uttered by the Home Minister: “The truth is that the government exists solely for corruption”.

The film will not change the state of Indian (or even global) politics, but it may certainly contribute to spreading awareness about the possible abuses of power by the leaders. I can easily imagine Nirmal getting caught in reality by the CBI executive (Jimmy Shergill); nevertheless, the film invites us to consider a what-if scenario: What if the oppressed individual makes his point and does not die in the end? This aspect combined with Irrfan’s top-notch acting is what makes Madaari a worthwhile motion picture.

Recommendations

I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes Irrfan Khan. Whenever he appears on screen in the leading role, he single-handedly carries the weight of a film on his shoulders thanks to his charisma and outstanding acting. Madaari is an excellent example of that. It’s a well-made thriller, which also makes you think about authentic issues and political degradation. All things considered, Bollywood is known for having many famous Khans, but to me, Irrfan Khan is the real “Khan of Bollywood”.

Overall score: 8/10