Dancehall Queen

My beautiful Ghetto sisters, let this be a story on natural beauty and rude boys man up and don't fall for the hair n make up, it beings out the worst in all of us. Who ever played Priest Is your new fan. More dance hall movies.

Dancehall Queen is one of the best movies to come out of the Caribbean region that has become an underground classic; confirming that there are wonderful stories outside of the United States and Europe that are entertaining and have a universal appeal. Marcia is an ordinary street vendor who has ambitions and the hope to improve her life and that of her family. It is Cinderella with an island twist.

The nondescript woman goes through her daily existence scraping out a living in the ghetto. She is presented with the chance to earn a considerable amount of money on her own. She must transform into one of the dancehall queens, the colorful extroverted entertainers whose sensual moves are the pulse of the dancehall reggae scene. It appears that the garish outfits and wigs enable Marcia to hide behind her insecurities and she transforms into a seductress.

The film boasts a vicious character, Priest, that can rival any of the villains seen in the big budget Hollywood movies. The actor's portrayal of the rude boy is classic. The Jamaican dialect does not prevent you from enjoying a funny, entertaining film that that captures a slice of life not often seen. It embraces the cutting edge world of dancehall reggae sharing it with the entire world.

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.

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.

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".