IslandGuru
Who payed the critics
Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Sabah Hensley
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
WakenPayne
Okay I sat down and watched this movie because... I want to see if Larisa Oleynik can do drama. Now with a premise like this it was almost a stamp on guarantee that I was going to like this movie. The amount of angles that they can go with this story and make it into something immensely enjoyable is amazing. Turns out I didn't like it.Okay so the story, Jules and Sam are both dancers that have danced since they were 6 years old. Sam loves to dance but Jules is obsessed with it and it's her lifelong dream to do it professionally. That comes to a screeching halt when what she thought were hip pains turns out to be a form of cancer and it basically chronicles how Jules, Sam and their families live with this.The biggest complaint in the sense that because this was taken out the whole thing falls apart is that these characters almost have the personality of dishwater. I mean with our 2 leads for example aside from them liking dance and having each other as best friends, what do you know about them? The answer is "almost nothing" because if they did elaborate on other personality traits then they didn't make this very clear. I could go on and on with how much this ruins the film completely.With all this said the actors all do decent jobs. I mean I know they're trying very hard to do this and it really shows. I think the best performance is Oleynik as Jules as she is conflicted with being unable to fulfil her dream for being a professional dancer. I mean they almost carry the movie.With this said I thought this movie relied on a lot of Dance choreography than anything else. Half the time they put dance sequences in places that don't make sense. I mean if it is supposed to convey some kind of symbolic meaning then the symbolism is very poorly put across.So I guess if you like any of these actors then this movie will be worth some kind of viewing. I mean the acting from most of the players is pretty good but the characters are bland cardboard cut-outs. The amount of ways this story could have been tackled, even if they gave the characters more personality could have connected me to the characters a lot more that when the ending comes along that I would be sad at it. So If you're a fan of these actors then watch it, If you aren't then this movie won't work.
locke-13
I enjoyed this film, even though it's not the type of film I usually watch.
*minor spoilers* Sam and Jules are best friends, having known each other so long that they don't even recall their lives before their friendship. Jules (played by "10 things I hate about You"'s Larisa Oleynik) is focused, determined, talented and driven, living for the dance classes she takes after school. Sam (Shiri Appleby - "Roswell" and "Swimfan") is more relaxed and seems comfortable bathing in the reflected glory of her best friend. As Jules' life is threatened by cancer, she sees her dream of attending the prestigious Julliard School of dance slipping from her grasp.The performances were good, though not incredible, and the dance sequences in this film were fantastic. I am not a trained dancer, but both the leads completely hold the viewer's attention on the dance floor.
I found Larisa's Jules to be vulnerable, and accessible. She degenerates well during the course of the movie, and the battles she is fighting, while largely offscreen, can be seen in her face. Unfortunately, she doesn't quite get enough dialog to flesh out her character as much as I would have hoped. In a strange move, Sam seems to be the more complex character, and Shiri injects a believability into her obsession with Jules that I found touching.In life, there are rare people, whose simple presence moulds us into something better than what we are. Jules has this effect on both Sam, and Sam's mother, and the director wisely chooses to discard several potential hallmark moments in favour of examining this adoration and the damage it can do. The relationship between Sam and her mother, and the friendship between Jules and Sam are both put at risk by Jules' glory.The direction was unobtrusive, which is important to telling a story like this, and apart from the climactic dance scene, and some dream sequences, the story is told well. The dream sequences were important, as Jules' perfect existence is ripped away from her, leaving her pulled towards places she does not want to go; however I thought they could have been handled better. I also was confused by the use of slow-motion in the final dance scene, as all the dancer notions of time and space and form which are handled well throughout the film seemed to be lost here.Overall, I have to give this film a good rating, for displaying both realism and subtlety, two qualities that are rarely shown in this type of film. The reaction to Jules' crisis and the effects it has on those around her are completely believable, and I think the fact that this film is based on a true story really helps here. While I have to admit that I prefer Shadowlands (starring the superb Antony Hopkins), full marks to both leads, the director and the dance choreographer.7.5/10
Sweet_Ophelia
It is so dissapointing that one of the best books I have ever read was adapted into such a bad film that totally lost the plot.
The movie is about Sam & Jules. Sam loves to dance, but Jules lives to dance. Jules is planning on going to Juilliard, and Sam is planning on tagging along, simply because she and Jules have been inseparable since they were six years old. But Jules's dreams come to a grinding halt when she is diagnosed with cancer. Jules & Sam's relationship is put to the test and things will never be the same again.Shiri Appleby was pretty ordinary and forgettable in this film. But, in her defence, if the movie had been based more closely on the book, her character would have been alot meatier and she probably could have done alot more with herself. Larisa Oleynik could have made her role really great. She could have tugged the audience's heart strings from beginning to end, but she didnt. Once again, in her defence, the film didnt concentrate enough on the emotional side of Jules's cancer, instead they stuffed it with way too many dance routines that just ended up being boring and hogging too much of the screen time. I know this film is about a girl who just wants to dance, but really, they were great steps, dont get me wrong, but too much of a good thing can be bad and boring. They should have concentrated alot more on the emotional and made sure there wasnt a dry eye by the end. Its strange that they didnt give Peter Coyote, a pretty darn good actor by my standards, more screen time. he had only two minor scenes with little dialogue and hardly any room for emotional response. There is one scene in which Jules tells her parents she wants to stop chemo, and he shows signs of potential, but then they leave it at that.With all due respect, the book was much better.
ivan_mckeon
Warning: This review contains vague plot references which might be seen as spoilers (but no more so than in the existing trailer and publicity material).Sam (Shiri Appleby) is a self-confessed slacker who lives in the reflected glory of her best friend Jules (Larisa Oleynik), a brilliant dancer whose ambition is to gain a place at the Julliard Academy. When Jules is diagnosed with cancer both girls are forced to re-evaluate their lives and ambitions. As Jules grows physically weaker Sam grows in self-confidence and their relationship becomes one of equals before Jules takes a courageous decision which leads to the bittersweet ending.Set to a resounding musical soundtrack and featuring impressive dance routines this is a poignant and moving rites of passage movie. It never resorts to maudlin or melodrama and is all the more heart-wrenching for that. The two young leads give outstanding performances and are ably backed up by an excellent adult cast led by Peter Coyote and Amy Madigan.Having already been a box office number one in Italy, this fine film deserves a theatrical release in the U.S. and the U.K. (This review refers to the Italian DVD version in English with Italian sub-titles).
