In this 50's story that takes you back to pre-Revolutionary Havana, Cuba, Katey Miller (Romola Garai) is of a small group of Americans living in the country. Her parents (Sela Ward and John Slattery) try to keep her sheltered, and though she does attend a largely American private school, along with James Phelps (Jonathan Jackson) and her sister Susie (Mika Boorem), she soon drifts into the spicy, rhythm-based center of Havana with waiter Javier (Diego Luna).
The story may seem predictable and a poor retelling, but I really enjoyed it. The actors are all very good, and I was impressed by how fresh and vibrant everything was. The dancing, the music, setting were all top notch and really brought everything to life. The dancing is absolutely astounding, and I really felt like learning the salsa, mambo, and cha-cha after I saw it. :)
The actors are all very, very good. Romola Garai was impressive to me, and continues to impress me after I saw her in Nicholas Nickleby and I Capture the Castle. She's very natural. Some of the dialogue seemed contrived and stilted, but she pulled it off admirably. Also someone to watch out for is Diego Luna. Everyone knows him as Tenoch in Y Tu Mama Tambien, and he does well here - both on the dance floor and on the stage. He can definitely hold his own. Sela Ward and John Slattery were good as the concerned parents, and it was nice seeing Mika Boorem out and about after John Stockwell's rollicking surf flick Blue Crush. Also ones to mention are January Jones and Jonathan Jackson as Katey's American acquaintances.
Everyone instantly rolls their eyes when they see 'Dirty Dancing' tacked on to it, but I encourage people to forget about its predecessor and see the story that Guy Ferland and his team are trying to tell this time around. It's completely different, although at its heart is the same message: as the tagline says, "Break the rules. Find your freedom. Live your life". My only real complaint about the movie was that it was too short. ;)
The story may seem predictable and a poor retelling, but I really enjoyed it. The actors are all very good, and I was impressed by how fresh and vibrant everything was. The dancing, the music, setting were all top notch and really brought everything to life. The dancing is absolutely astounding, and I really felt like learning the salsa, mambo, and cha-cha after I saw it. :)
The actors are all very, very good. Romola Garai was impressive to me, and continues to impress me after I saw her in Nicholas Nickleby and I Capture the Castle. She's very natural. Some of the dialogue seemed contrived and stilted, but she pulled it off admirably. Also someone to watch out for is Diego Luna. Everyone knows him as Tenoch in Y Tu Mama Tambien, and he does well here - both on the dance floor and on the stage. He can definitely hold his own. Sela Ward and John Slattery were good as the concerned parents, and it was nice seeing Mika Boorem out and about after John Stockwell's rollicking surf flick Blue Crush. Also ones to mention are January Jones and Jonathan Jackson as Katey's American acquaintances.
Everyone instantly rolls their eyes when they see 'Dirty Dancing' tacked on to it, but I encourage people to forget about its predecessor and see the story that Guy Ferland and his team are trying to tell this time around. It's completely different, although at its heart is the same message: as the tagline says, "Break the rules. Find your freedom. Live your life". My only real complaint about the movie was that it was too short. ;)