Dança, Paixão e Fama

Most of the negative comments about this film seem to come from its birth place, Australia. Frankly, "Bootmen" is not a horrible movie by any stretch of the imagination. The film shows some originality in the way the director Dein Perry sets the film in the steel works factory that is about to close and having Sean and his mates practice in another abandoned place that seems to be saying a lot about how industries do away with people that have given their best to make them better.

Adam Garcia, playing Sean, is one of the best things in the film. The other asset is Sam Worthington, who plays Mitch, the brother that seems to attract trouble wherever he goes. Also, Sophie Lee, as the brothers' love interest makes an effective contribution to the movie.

The dancing numbers reminded us of Stomp, the musical that has been playing here for a long time now, in that unusual ways of tap dancing are practiced on the most unconventional ways, which makes "Bootmen" more likable.

The best way to watch the film is to sit back, relax, and let it unfold, as it will win the viewer over with the inspired tap dancing.

As a resident of Newcastle who is familiar with the Dein Perry story I was very interested in seeing this movie. The fact that it was shot in Newcastle and features a few Newcastle actors only increased my interest. As a local it was fantastic to see our often stereotyped city (we are the sixth largest Australian city) look as good as it does. They didn't just focus on the normal shots of the steel works or the beach, and they used references to places in Newie that only we could get. As a tap-dancing fan it was wonderful to see tap making its way into the cinema in a non-Fred Astaire way. As a movie fan it was great to note that something I assumed to be a chick-flick was actually a very blokey film with a bit of dancing thrown in. Perry and the crew have done a magnificent job in not only opening up the eyes of the world to tap-dancing they've also been wonderful in showing everyone a different side to Newcastle, while still maintaining what we are really about.

I was born in Newcastle where this film was set, and was still living there at the time when this was filmed and when released was very interested in watching it.

All I can say is that Adam Garcia was fantastic and showed his amazing dancing skills - he is also a great singer as well as shown on An Audience with Kylie Minogue last year and he is definitely such a versatile performer and one to watch in years to come.

Seeing areas of where I grew up in Newcastle was surreal and I even recognised some local faces as extras. The theatre they used when Adam's character was in Sydney was really the Civic Theatre which is located in Newcastle.

Sophie Lee has come a long way the past few years and definitely deserves higher recognition - I'm not saying this because she is also a Newcastle girl but I thought she outshone Kate Winslet in Holy Smoke and gave Toni Collete a run for her money in Muriel's Wedding and it was a shame she didn't have a bigger role.

Australian movies are really hit or miss and this is definitely a hit, along with The Dish which was released around the same time. The dancing sequence is heartpounding and this is definitely one film worth a look.

'Bootmen' is a cross between 'The Full Monty' and 'Billy Elliot' but the comparisons have to stop there, as this film contains neither the depth nor the humor of the other two. It is one of the few Australian Films I have seen that, either purposefully or not, looks more like a Hollywood flick, and perhaps coincidentally it ranks lower than most Aussie films on my list. The characters are developed haphazardly, and the tone of the movie follows a similar chaotic path, with excellent dancing not quite making up for a weak script and a feeble, unoriginal plot. Although at parts moving or amusing (or occasionally both at once) the film as a whole lacks focus, and it could be seen as a way to bring the Directors talent as a choreographer into the limelight. Impressive dancing, but otherwise nothing special, and towards the end it appears to lose touch with reality.

This film was done to promote the Tap Dogs show and dance group, so don't expect complicated or sophisticated plot, cunning twists or even amazing acting.

You can pretty much guess what happens, just from watching the trailer. There is nothing, plotwise, that hasn't been done before and the characters are all tried and tested stereotypes. Cinematography is solid and production quality is safe. There is a fair degree of bad language, which seems a touch out of place given that this film will appeal to a lot of young dance students.

But none of this detracts from the basic underlying premise of the film... Basically, sit back, shut up and enjoy the fabulous tap dancing - That's what it's about and in that respect, it does NOT disappoint!!