CGMAETC

As ballet movies go, this is one of the better ones. It really captures the essence of a company: the rising star, the oversexed male dancer, diva choreographers, budget-conscious artistic directors, and the unique sadness that is the aging ballerina. MacClain and Bancroft deliver their contrived dialog with expertise (even though it appears they did a lot of ADR because the dialog seems to be dubbed) and they handle their relative roles with ease. Bancroft plays the aging diva with perfect grandness and MacClaine is great as the regretful mother. I can overlook the fact that a summer-study student, no matter how brilliant she is (and the young lady here is a highly talented dancer) WOULD NOT get a lead, let alone a solo number in her first year, but the plot is a bit thin, yet it makes it's point: the grass is not always greener on the other side of the stage. The best part of this movie is the dancing, of course. Misha is poetry in tights, always exhilarating and breathtaking. Though the movie was made in the 70s, it still rings true today in the world of ballet.

Okay, I was dragged kicking and screaming to this movie. I made my friends pay for my ticket in protest when the majority voted to see this and I was stranded at the movie theater without my car. When I first heard of it, I thought the premise was absurd, the make-up laughable and the jokes seemed racist. I was right about the first two things. Yes, you are not fooled for one minute that Marlon and Shawn are actually either of the 2 pampered princesses they impersonate. Yes, you can't imagine anyone else being fooled either. But for one moment, just suspend your disbelief and take this movie for what it is... a comedy. A gut-busting, rolling on the floor laughing and quotable one-liners kind of comedy. This was the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. This movie makes fun of everyone-- black, white, rich, poor, dorks, cool people... no one is safe. And the brother who falls for Marlon in disguise had me pee-ing in my pants! And there's even bit of commentary about social and racial stereotypes. All in all, an enjoyable experience.