Dancehall Queen

This is a good story about how a person can rise up and make something of him/herself.

The backdrop of Jamaican culture is brought to life quite nicely and I very much like the cultural influence be it they are pretty subtle. Being from the Caribbean myself, I can very much identify with much of the non-western cultural issues which aren't in-your-face obvious, but are definitely there. It might be handy to turn on subtitles because the accent will be very hard to understand if you have not been into contact with the Jamaican dialect much. The acting is pretty good, with my personal favorite being that of Rude-boy :) Don't expect an extremely good or complex plot, but it is a nice movie to watch.

Moral of the movie: You can be or become anything or anyone if you have a spec of talent and put hard work into it. (Which basically is the embodiment of the American dream right?)

I was introduced to this film by a Jamaican friend who insisted I see the movie. It was a choice I was glad to have made. The story introduces us to normal, everyday people who are all well written and well acted. The storyline is about a woman who wants more for herself and wants more for her small family. Some people may have trouble with the language. I dont speak of the content of language but, the dialect. Some Jamaicans speak with the strong dialect known as "Patois" (pronounced pah-twah). This film is flavored with it. I did notice that at the start of Dancehall Queen, the language is difficult to understand but seemed to become much easier as the film progressed. Through the movie, we are exposed to some great Raggae music and some pretty intensive dance sequences. The setting and locales of the film are very scenic and adds character.The sub plots served to support an already strong story. I recommend this film to any fan of Caribbean or Jamaican culture.

I have seen this film several times, as it gets surprisingly heavy rotation on cable television. Each time I catch it, I thoroughly enjoy it.

The story line is highly improbable, but it doesn't matter because the performances (acting and dancing) are top-drawer. It's a reminder that films about the ordinary struggles of common folk can be engaging without all the special effects that one finds in the Hollywood products of today.

This is a heartwarming story. So often we watch stories about cultures we would never entertain being a part of but somewhere in the meat of the story we are drawn in. this story takes place in a Jamaican ghetto and shows us that even in the brash vivid stroked lives of those who live hand to mouth everyday there exists poetic justice and the charm of the unaffected life. The characters were believable and passionate.

I cried and laughed and commiserated with Marcia and her family and yes, found myself wishing that I too could have been there if only for a day. I loved the music and was surprised to find so much variety in dancehall music such as Chaka Demus' song "whats the move" and Beeniemans song "dancehall queen".

This movie is about a street vendor who enters a dance contest. I loved this movie. Most people might not understand what they were saying but it was not about that. Once you followed the plot, you were sure not to be misled. I saw this about 16 times on video. I am a Caribbean native and I really enjoyed it. The dancing made me learn a few things and the sound-track was of the hook! As for the characters, the street vendor, Marcia, she was very funny! The daughters, Tasha and Tanya, cool. Larry and Priest were your typical villains! The story was smooth-flowing as well. My reason for watching it over and over was to see the dancing which was very good and to hear the same jokes over and over again. 9/10