Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3878 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-20
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Greek, Icelandic, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Something got lost in translation from 1996's critically acclaimed Japanese comedy, but the American remake of Shall We Dance? is not without charms of its own. In being transplanted from Tokyo to Chicago, the original version's subtle humor is shaken out of its cultural context, but this is an otherwise faithful adaptation in which a weary lawyer (Richard Gere) battles his mid-life crisis with ballroom dancing lessons, while his wife (Susan Sarandon) hires a private detective to see if he's cheating. Those expecting a Jennifer Lopez showcase will be disappointed; her role as the melancholy dance instructor keeps the beautifully lovelorn J-Lo on the sidelines, while a cast of standard-issue supporting characters (especially Stanley Tucci's clandestine faux-Latin dance lover) provide a generous dose of Hollywood-ized comic relief. All of this gives Shall We Dance? a polished sheen of mainstream entertainment that many viewers---and especially ballroom dancers--will find delightfully irresistible. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Synopsis
A conservative businessman enrols in a dance school after spotting a beautiful woman through its windows. Despite being naturally gifted, the businessman keeps his dance classes a secret, causing his wife to believe that he is conducting an illicit affair... Remake of the Japanese classic of the same name.

Customer Reviews

A humorous,romantic,lively and colourful film
If someone told you that Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez were going to dance together on film you'd expect it to be one of the sexiest dances you could hope to see.They did dance together on Shall We Dance and it was one of the sexiest dances you could hope to see.All the characters in the movie are engaging and the whole cast does a great job.You experience something very romantic and uplifting.Peter Chelsom,who directed Serendipity,directed this film and skilfully draws the viewer into a magical realm that keeps in touch with the real world we all live in.The bonus material on the dvd really is a bonus and I watched it several times.

Heart warming and sweet!
I have to say that this film had me in tears at one point. It is so sweet and fun-loving. It is the kind of film you do not need to concentrate on and has some excellent dance scenes in it...J-Lo can certainly dance well.
If you prefer deep stuff, avoid it but if you are open minded and just want a movie you can enjoy easily...this is the one!

"It's not true that I don't want anything"
But before John Clark (Richard Gere) discovers his love for dancing, the statement above is pretty accurate. He is a lawyer that goes through the same routine each day, and is almost in a state of stupor, until one day, riding the train home, he sees a woman at a window looking out with a forlorn expression. After that, he is hooked, and has to go there and start attending dancing lessons to find more about this mysterious femme. Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) is an instructor at the dancing studio, and lives a frustrated life ever since she was dumped by her dancing partner / lover at the summit of her career, when she was about to compete in Blackwood, the most prestigious dancing competition in the world.

John is married, and even though the relationship with Paulina starts out as a professional one, there is a sense that he is cheating on Beverly (Susan Sarandon). Therefore, he starts hiding his new activity from his family and only gets to share his secret with Link (Stanley Tucci), a co-worker who leads a double life as serious lawyer during the day and a dance machine at night. With this basic set up, the movie succeeds in entertaining through a combination of elements. First, we have the unanswered question of what is going to happen between John and Paulina. Second, the variety of personalities depicted through the different characters allow for a myriad of interesting and funny dialogues. Third, the well choreographed dances allow us to enjoy the music and the artistry of several of the scenes. Finally, even though I found that Gere, Lopez and Sarandon were proficient in their roles, I have to mention Tucci as the actor that should take most of the credit for my enjoyment of this movie. He is perfect for the role he plays and every time he shows up on the screen you know that you will be laughing out loud soon.

I have not watched the original Japanese version of this movie, so I have no basis for a comparison in that regard. But I do know that even though this is not a masterpiece, which by the way I do not think it is intended to be, it does deliver what it promises: an enjoyable couple of hours. When comparing it with other movies within the genre, like "Dance with me", with Chayanne and Williams, I believe that this one comes clearly on top.