Save the Last Dance

This movie does what few movies over the past year or so have been able to do. It takes you to a place which actually exists and it takes real issues head on. Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas give real performances they do not come off as "cardboard" characters but as real human beings. The plot was simple enough to be good, it didn't require you having a past knowledge of the world of dance but yet didn't rule you out if you weren't black with a bunch of "black talk". This movie talks to teens. We are able to understand the pressures that surround us, the music we listen to, and just our world. Sure, you have your typical characters but what movie doesn't. Go see the film and then make up your mind. It is one of my favourite new films for the past few years.

Save the Last Dance is one of those movies that's so nostalgic, you can't help but forgive how cringe it can be at times. I mean, yes, the dialogue is cheesy, and the dance moves might feel a little dated now, but that's part of its charm. It's a classic from the early 2000s, and honestly, it's a movie I find myself wanting to rewatch every now and then-just for the vibes.

The story of Sara, a ballet dancer who moves to Chicago after a tragedy, and Derek, a guy from a very different world who helps her rediscover her passion for dance, still feels heartfelt. The chemistry between Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas is solid, even if some of the scenes make you roll your eyes a little. And that final audition? So iconic, even if it's a mix of awkward ballet and hip-hop that would never fly in real life.

But that's the beauty of Save the Last Dance. It doesn't have to be perfect-it's raw, full of teenage angst, and drenched in early 2000s vibes. A solid 7/10 for me, and definitely a must-watch when you're in the mood for a nostalgic trip back in time.

Okay, so it won't bring home a little golden guy. . .it's from MTV Films for crying out loud. But who says everything has to? I will say this; this movie actually had a little more substance than what I walked in expecting. I went to the theater on opening night with 5 girlfriends expecting to hear some good music and see some good choreography and scenery of Chicago--a city I dearly love. I got all of that. But I also got a glimpse of broken homes, the dynamic between a father and daughter who don't know each other, friends who've gone by the wayside that you still don't want to let go of, I could say more. Oh, and the thing that really still pisses people off though it's 2001. . .interracial relationships. I'm not saying the plot isn't a little rehashed, but there's not a whole lot that's new out there. No, it's not a great film--I give it a B, but I'd see it again. In fact I did see it again with another set of friends on Saturday night. All in all, I saw this movie with 10 friends of varying sex, age and race and all of us liked it. I think that's a pretty good showing.

Unless you like cheesy MTV-style teenage movies of the ilk of Flashdance, this may not be for you. If you do, it's a well-made piece of that easily digestible junk-food genre. For me, it was interesting mostly because of the dancing (fusion of hip-hop and ballet). There's some interesting performances, even if the editing is there to show the dancefloor moves to a perfection that might not have actually been achieved by Julia Stiles. The standard boy-meets-girl, gets-her-to-realise-her-dream-as-a-dancer-stuff is the stuff large buckets of popcorn were made for . . .

Yeah, the movie started like it actually may have a point to it. Then, after she went to that club (I don't even remember the name of it and I saw it three hours ago), it just went downhill. It was more of a fish-out-of-water kind of movie than a movie about dancing. It was so predictable, I was counting off the seconds from when they were about to kiss! The only good point was that Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas had such good chemistry and were so cute. Still, it didn't make up for a shallow plot, stereotypes and an idea that went nowhere.