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Reviews
Shall we dansu? (1996)
A stunning take on a film where a stiff formal accountant transforms from determined clumsy caterpillar to a graceful bold protective silent butterfly.
Mr. Sugiyama, (Kôji Yakusho), an approaching middle age accountant is alone at home and at work. Attempts to fit in with macho male bonding peers is unsatisfying. Nor is proper for him to whine to his wife and daughter about how boring accounting is or how unhappy he is.
While standing waiting for a train he spots a beautiful graceful regal looking woman standing in a window for a dance class studio.
Finally, Mr. Sugiyama gains enough desperate courage and he visits that dance studio.
The woman, Ms. Kishikawa, (Tamiyo Kusakari) stands aloof and rebuffs overtures.
Mr. Sugiyama decides to take dance lessons. Both as a change in his life, but also to remain near Ms. Kishikawa.
Starting out as clumsy as a ugly duckling, Mr. Sugiyama throws himself into learning to dance. Since dancing at home or work is out of the question, Mr. Sugiyama practices when he alone or when he waiting for his train.
As Mr. Sugiyama learns and improves he also learns that in dance teams, the man is there to provide strength, aid and protect the lady during risky maneuvers. He also learns that Ms. Kishikawa had been allowed to fall by a previous partner and injured in the fall. Her trust is shattered.
Ms. Kishikawa sees Mr. Sugiyama practicing on the train platform while ignoring bystanders and commuters. She begins to trust Mr. Sugiyama slightly.
Mrs. Sugiyama begins fighting with Mr. Sugiyama demanding to know what he is doing. Mr. Sugiyama stops attending dance classes as a ballroom competition approaches.
Ms. Kishikawa posts a sign in the window, "Dance with me, Mr. Sugiyama?". (at least that is what the language dub said.)
Needless to say, Mr. Sugiyama returns to the dance studio and begins practicing for the ballroom competition.
Ms. Kishikawa's potential dance partner chases a different opportunity and she begins practicing with Mr. Sugiyama seriously.
Mrs. Sugiyama gets the private detective's report shortly before the competition. While no cheating was spotted, the picture doesn't look good. So she and her daughter buy tickets to the ballroom competition.
The competition day arrives, with various sight gags of Mr. Sugiyama sneaking his dancing tuxedo, shoes and gear under his wife's eyes to the competition.
Ms. Kishikawa and Mr. Sugiyama dance brilliantly. Except at one point they are thrown off balance, but Mr. Sugiyama takes the fall and protects Ms. Kishikawa from injury.
They win the competition. (Of course everyone knew this was coming).
Mrs. Sugiyama finally gets what her husband is doing and accepts the beauty of the dance. She is fully comforted that there is no hugs, kissing, inappropriate touching between Ms. Kishikawa and Mr. Sugiyama. Mrs. Sugiyama and their daughter meet with Mr. Sugiyama at the end of the competition and their family is stronger.
Ms. Kishikawa danced divinely and has her trust in dance partners restored. Ms. Kishikawa, wiser now, understands that she must carefully choose her dance partner and not be fooled by prima donnas.
Because of her scintillation in the competition, top level male dancers ask about a partnership.
I was home sick that day and desperate for something to watch on the television. I'm not a ballroom dancer and rather disdain the thought of ballroom dancing.
Because Mr. Sugiyama was socially awkward and desirous of some of life's passion and because Ms. Kishikawa was stunningly beautiful in spite of her initial aloofness, I got watched the entire movie. By the time, they got to ballroom dancing i was a fan.
Great acting!
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes: The Last Vampyre (1993)
A truly horrible screen write of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, really really bad.
Don't get me wrong; Jeremy Brett and David Burke do their normal first rate acting jobs, the horribly written screenplay and plot give them a poor vehicle for their skills.
Most of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories in the Granada series hold true to the original. Sure maybe some of the dramatizations are over the top, still they stick to Sir Doyle's original story and allow Brett and Burke to give flesh to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Unfortunately the last vampyre (left lower case on purpose) was written so poorly with TV type scenes and situations that even Basil Rathbone would have been embarrassed to play Sherlock in. He__, even Huckleberry Hound would have been embarrassed.
Preserve the image of Brett and Burke doing an incredible job of bringing Holmes and Watson to life; do not watch this episode.