Bootmen

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.

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.

The concept is good - to try to capture the style of the "Tap Dogs" and turn it into a feature film.

Sadly, the transition to the big screen was not entirely successful. In order to reach the big tap finale, we had to wade through an hour and a half of paper thin plot - nice guy fails to make it in the big city, father-son conflict, brother-brother conflict and small scale organized crime racket.

The quality of the acting left a bit to be desired (this is to be expected as the guys were selected for their tap ability, rather than their acting pedigree), and Sophie Lee was ... well, Sophie Lee (I'm yet to be convinced that she is an actor).

The bleak industrial landscape and cinematography were quite good, as were the actors in the small supporting roles.

So when push comes to shove - was the final tap spectacular worth sitting through the movie? Sure was, it's just a shame there wasn't a bit more of it.

i actually liked the movie a lot. i happened to see it one day on IFC, and enjoyed it so much i made my Australia native fiancé watch it after he said everyone he knew that saw it back when it came out said it was crap. i thought it was very predictable...but cute still. All those little tap dancing Aussie all cute and tapping for a cause. All the drama, dead mom, dead brother, pregnant semi-girlfriend by brother, dad against his tapping, and a cynical instructor. i enjoyed it very much and would watch it again if i were to see it on. I think the idea behind the movie was very original...very funny at times. I particularly enjoyed comments about "poofters" and "root".