WILLIAM FLANIGAN
Viewed on DVD and Streaming. To date, there are at least three movies out there with this title. Only one is Japanese. And it is by far the best of the bunch. It has become a classic "sleeper hit," probably more popular today than when first released in the mid 1990's. The main plot path is well worn: middle-age family man (Koji Yakusyo) seeking another turn at bat with an unattainable woman-in-a-dance-studio-window (Tamiyo Kusakari). By becoming an amateur expert dancer no less! The script delivers sufficient surprises and subplots to ensure the viewer's full attention. It also leaves no subplot loose ends, and provides feel-good happy endings all around (more or less). Directing, acting, camera, and music (not all of it is original) are first rate. So are the subtitles! In camera shots of the dance studio window from subway windows are especially well done. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
Ben Larson
Shohei Sugiyama (Kôji Yakusho) is a guy that works way too much. I understand that is typical in Japan. He is lonely, but that is not what attracts him to a dance studio.On the train home, he sees Mai Kishikawa (Tamiyo Kusakari) in the window. The next night she is there again. He is intrigued as to why she is so unhappy.He manages to overcome his shyness and joins in at the dance studio where Mai works as a teacher. Soon his life changes dramatically.Kôji Yakusho is an outstanding Japanese actor who was in Babel and 13 Assassins. Tamiyo Kusakari won a Best Actress award for this film and was up for another at this years Japanese Film Academy for The Terminal Trust.Comic moments are provided by Hiromasa Taguchi and Yu Tokui, and a very big surprise comes from Naoto Takenaka, who won a Best Supporting Actor award for this film.I cannot comprehend why anyone would think this film needed a remake.
Desertman84
Shall We Dance is about a bored accountant Sugiyama,who on his evening commute,always looks at the beautiful woman who gazes wistfully out the window of the Kishikawa School of Dancing. One night he gets off the train, walks into the studio, and signs up for a class. Soon Sugiyama is so engrossed in his dancing he practices his steps on the train platform and under his desk, and becomes good enough for competition, compelling his wife to hire a private investigator to find out why he stays out late and returns home smelling of perfume. Among the colorful characters Sugiyama meets is his coworker Aoki,who transforms himself from geeky systems analyst to hilariously flamboyant (and bad-wigged) lounge lizard. Aoki explains to Sugiyama, "When I finish work, put on the clothes, the wig and become Donny Burns, Latin world champion, and I start to move to the rhythm, I'm so happy, so completely free." Here lies the chief charm of Shall We Dance, the contrast between the ultra-competitive women of the studio--including the one who caught Sugiyama's eye, Mai --and the men who dance simply because they enjoy it.This is a great film tackles issues such as the views on men in the Japanese culture,mid-life crisis and ballroom dancing.The cast in the film were excellent.This is one of the best Japanese films I have ever seen.And it is not a horror film.It takes into consideration the pains of middle-age and the need to feel alive during that stage. Overall,it is the best non-horror Japanese film I have ever seen. Highly recommended to everyone who wants an entertaining movie.
kyrat
A nice glimpse into Japanese culture and how they can be more reserved than us (at least in terms of physical contact) and cross-gender contact.I thought the actors, including the supporting cast were fantastic. I was a little worried about the focus of the movie as it started out w/ his boredom & attraction to Mai. Obviously the main character was the focus but I even felt for his wife and really enjoyed the scenes with the older dancing teacher and the private eye. As others have mentioned, Aoki steals the show whenever he's on camera. In general I enjoyed the film for the character growth - not for any particular scene. I was happy to see that this wasn't a "romance" movie, but something much better than a trite rehash of overdone plots.P.S. I'd like to respond to an earlier post. Shall We Dance (1937) w/ Rogers & Astaire is a completely different movie. It's a musical with a completely different plot. Just 'cuz the name's the same - doesn't mean it's the same movie!
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