No Balanço do Amor

Yeah, the movie started like it actually may have a point to it. Then, after she went to that club (I don't even remember the name of it and I saw it three hours ago), it just went downhill. It was more of a fish-out-of-water kind of movie than a movie about dancing. It was so predictable, I was counting off the seconds from when they were about to kiss! The only good point was that Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas had such good chemistry and were so cute. Still, it didn't make up for a shallow plot, stereotypes and an idea that went nowhere.

Okay, so it won't bring home a little golden guy. . .it's from MTV Films for crying out loud. But who says everything has to? I will say this; this movie actually had a little more substance than what I walked in expecting. I went to the theater on opening night with 5 girlfriends expecting to hear some good music and see some good choreography and scenery of Chicago--a city I dearly love. I got all of that. But I also got a glimpse of broken homes, the dynamic between a father and daughter who don't know each other, friends who've gone by the wayside that you still don't want to let go of, I could say more. Oh, and the thing that really still pisses people off though it's 2001. . .interracial relationships. I'm not saying the plot isn't a little rehashed, but there's not a whole lot that's new out there. No, it's not a great film--I give it a B, but I'd see it again. In fact I did see it again with another set of friends on Saturday night. All in all, I saw this movie with 10 friends of varying sex, age and race and all of us liked it. I think that's a pretty good showing.

Throughout history there has been hardships for African Americans. Slavery, human rights, discrimination, and racism have been very obvious problems for them. Although they have gained their human rights and slavery has been abolished, discrimination and racism are still around in the twenty-first century. Within the romantic drama Save The Last Dance directed by Thomas Carter, 2001, it lets its viewers see and recognize what people are still like to this day when dealing with different races such as white and black.

Within this movie the main character Sara wants to be a ballerina. Her mother died in a car accident on her way to see her perform, in attempt to get into Sara Lawrence University. She had to move in with her father who is a struggling musician and live in a rundown apartment, in Chicago. Sara's new school is mainly of African American descent and she is the minority. She makes friends with a girl named Chenille and starts adopt some things that Chenille does in order to fit in.

Chenille has a brother Derek. Derek and Sara fall in love and it is hard for them because they get a lot of problems just because they are in interracial couple. Sara and Derek both get into fights defending themselves from their peers and friends. The explanation for Chenille to Sara about why she shouldn't be with Derek was because she was white. She said that since Sara was white, she was taking one of the only good men left for the black woman. This is complete discrimination against Sara, even thought Chenille is her best friend there in Chicago.

. Sara who grew up in the southwest, was not used to this ghetto Chicago area. She was taught how to dance like everyone else, and started to listen to the same music as they did, so she would fit in and have a good time. Her best friend from home doesn't think it's even possibly for Sara to find a guy down where she is because no one is white. She asks questions such as, "Have you seen anyone get shot yet?" Such questions and statements show that the low class status of this neighborhood is discriminated against.

Save The Last Dance portrays the discrimination that still going on during this day and age. Gun fights, death, clubs, music, romance, tragedy, dancing, and racism are all present within this movie. The lower class Chicago area shows how dangerous things can be. The events that happen between the Sara and Derek and other events within this movie truly show how America is still discriminatory towards people.

This movie does what few movies over the past year or so have been able to do. It takes you to a place which actually exists and it takes real issues head on. Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas give real performances they do not come off as "cardboard" characters but as real human beings. The plot was simple enough to be good, it didn't require you having a past knowledge of the world of dance but yet didn't rule you out if you weren't black with a bunch of "black talk". This movie talks to teens. We are able to understand the pressures that surround us, the music we listen to, and just our world. Sure, you have your typical characters but what movie doesn't. Go see the film and then make up your mind. It is one of my favourite new films for the past few years.

Let's get one thing straight. Teen movies are starting to get unbearable. So it is a relief when something like "Save the Last Dance" comes along and offers something up that's just a little off of redundancy. There seems to be a lot going on here, with the main characters dealing with everything from death of loved ones to single parenthood to racial issues. You don't see THAT often in teen movies! But what it really comes down to is DANCE! Julia Stiles plays a former ballet dancer whose dreams are self-imposingly dashed by a tragic event, and the rest of the movie is about her re-chasing her dream in totally different circumstances than what she's used to (mainly: being the only white girl in a rough Chicago all-black neighbourhood). The movie does touch upon a lot of issues, as previously mentioned, but none of them are explored enough to give the film a lot of substance. What does make the film somewhat enjoyable is the dance sequences and the performances. There seems to be a real chemistry between Stiles (who's great in everything she does!) and Sean Patrick Thomas, who is really talented! I've only seen him in supporting roles, but this film shows he can be a leading man. The scene stealer award goes to Kerry Washington, who is so much fun in every one of her scenes. I hope to see a lot more of her in the future. IN A NUTSHELL: It's good to see a teen film that deals with more issues than just prom dates, and it will make you think, but it's not deep enough to be more than just a "dance" movie in the same vain as "Centre Stage" and "Dirty Dancing", culminating in long dance routine by Stiles, and when the routine is over, everything is resolved. Are all the issues REALLY resolved? Only in Hollywood!! Skippy's Rating: 7/10