Dirty Dancing (1987) Dir: Emile Ardolino
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This is one of those films that seemingly everyone has seen - everyone except, until recently, me. I don't know why I hadn't watched Emile Ardolino's iconic dance film, but it felt like one of those films I should watch at least once, even if I ended up not liking it, because of how famous it is.
One of the big positives of this film is its soundtrack. It's full of now-classic songs, which gives the film a nostalgic and upbeat feel. It mixes new and old music of the time, which all fit in with the themes of romance and rhythm.
The story was adequate - it does the job of building its romantic element, although, I wouldn't say it was particularly amazing, by any means. There were no scenes that I was especially impressed by, and the film's pacing was a little spotty. It really dragged in the third act, however, the final dance number was excellent.
Jennifer Grey was, at times, absolutely wonderful in this leading role. I was already familiar with her work in Ferris Bueler, so it was nice to see her in a far more substantial role. I thought she was really strong in the second half of the film - the first half I was less impressed with, though she still wasn't bad.
Patrick Swayze epitomised the 80s male sex appeal; muscled, talented, flamboyant and secretly very vulnerable. He portrayed the role well, I thought. He definitely provided more than I expected, based on his early scenes. I still thought he was a bit cheesy though.
The film also features some fairly good, if not overly memorable, performances from its supporting cast members, including the likes of Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack Weston and Jane Brucker.
Overall, whilst I didn't think this was a great film by any means, I still liked it a fair amount, and I enjoyed being swept up in some of the dancing sequences, particularly the iconic final scene. It's a film I'm glad I watched, for the culture, so to speak, but it's also not one I'll be in a rush to revisit.
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