Ask Me to Dance

Briana Evigan fans may go into this film thinking it's a dance movie. Instead you get a 90 minute episode of Love American Style. The over-the-top humor is so ham-handed it's not even mildly cute. Writer/Director Tom Malloy spends the entire film mugging at the camera. The supporting characters are so unbelievably stupid, they can't be taken seriously. There's a scene featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle that feels as if it's from an Ed Wood horror film. If Siskel and Ebert were still alive, there's no doubt this movie would have been their Dog-Of-The-Week. Nobody should ever give Tom Malloy another penny to make another film.

: Ask Me to Dance starts as we meet Jill (Evigan) who has been searching for love before her best friend's wedding. She gets sent on a string of dates that go wrong, despite being told she would find love before the end of the year. Elsewhere, Jack (Malloy) has been going through the same problem, going through disastrous dates too.

As the wedding comes closer, Jill and Jack find themselves almost meeting, leading to them getting frustrated by love. They question whether the fortune-telling was just making things up to make them feel more loved. This is very very awesome, perfect, fantastic and so lovely.

Mario Cantone is fabulous and very funny as Patrick. Carter surprised constantly as you never know what he will say next. This is a movie about finding someone who sees life as you see life not trying to change you. Briana and Tom had great chemistry apart in their journey to find love and we all can relate to the dates gone bad. Briana's warmth shines and individual characters are allowed to shine. Watch out for "psycho girl" who quickly becomes a wedding problem. The dancing was great beginning to end! Oh, and Kurt Angle!!! Joyce DeWitt looked great and was not what you expect from her which was fun. I did not think of Tom as a cat person, I thought a French Bulldog would be more his style!

I went with a group of friends and we all laughed out loud! We often talk about how hard it is to date when you're over 40, and this movie nailed it in a funny and touching way. The speed-dating scene was hysterical. Tom Malloy (Jack) was endearing (OMG his scene with the cat!)and believable as the geeky IT guy looking for love, and Briana Evigan (Jill) was enchanting to watch--I'll definitely be looking for her in other films. I enjoyed the escape from reality and found myself wishing I lived somewhere where all the bar patrons knew how to dance like in the movie. The only reason I didn't give it 10 stars is that I wanted to see Jack and Jill's relationship evolve. In other words--I wish it had been longer!

A gypsy woman predicts, that Jill (Briana Evigan) and Jack (Tom Malloy), will achieve love in four days. So, you already know where Ask Me to Dance (2022), is going. This film has the normal, rom-com, modern-day, movie tropes, including meeting the bipolar girl, at the speed-dating event. When the old, gypsy lady meets Jack, she hands her cat to him and just before the edit-cut, it looks, much like, the cat wanted to scratch his eyes out. The casting choices in this film are weird. I don't get Tom Malloy as the leading man. He bites his lower lip too much and makes weird faces. And, how unoriginal to name your main characters, Jack and Jill. Mario Cantone (Sex in the City, 1998-2004) plays Jill's friend, Patrick. Briana Evigan is the daughter of actor, Greg Evigan, who for people over 45, know him from the TV-show, BJ and the Bear (1978-1981). After Mario Cantone, the biggest name in the film, with veteran-creed, is Joyce DeWitt (Janet from Three's Company, 1977-1984).

Ask Me to Dance (2022), feels like an expensively, long, college film. It smells like, the low budget, independent film variety of romantic comedies, that go straight to video/streaming. However, this dreary, independent, rom-com has moments strong enough to get an E For Effort, but it is a tough watch to see. DeWitt's character is head-scratching, with a weird, southern accent, mixed with a granny-type of Mrs. Roper, if she had a carry-permit. This approach to her character is so bad, it seems out of place. You don't really even like her much. Also, the dancing isn't that very exciting either and the film, ends like a wedding video. Who needs that? However, let's give credit, where credit is due, especially since Tom Malloy was pulling triple duty, as not only just the main actor, but also the writer/director of Ask Me to Dance (2022). It's also evident, that Malloy and Evigan give it their best with the dancing scenes. If Malloy had hired another actor for the Jack role, things may have worked-out better.

PMTM Grade: 4.5 (E) = 5 IMDB.