Dirty Dancing

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. "Dirty Dancing" is a teen heartthrob/coming of age movie. Sure there are many pictures out there with a similar plot and tone, but in that “genre”, there are some that are better than others and this under those constraints, this one can be considered a classic.

The film is set in 1963 and follows Baby (played by Jennifer Grey), who is out on vacation with her family at a fancy resort. During her stay, Baby meets the resort's dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze) After attending an after party where she witnesses the staff practicing "dirty dancing", Mambo, Baby develops a crush for Johnny. That’s right. The titular dance is Mambo, but dirty is just the way to describe the sexually charged movements happening on the dance floor. Even now, when the style isn't unheard of, it's still hot to see. It’s the jumping point for a coming of age story as Baby learns about love, the world, the dance floor, and herself.

And as you can probably expect, it all ends in a big dance number where she really gets to show off her new moves to her previously disapproving father.

While there are quite a few good elements to the film, the best by far are the music and the dancefloor performances. The film has a great soundtrack, the highlight of which is of course " (I've Had) The Time of My Life" for which the movie won an Academy award. Throughout there are some memorable songs and, when combined with the raw energy of the dance numbers, it elevates the movie above its familiar story. The scenes featuring the Mambo dance, particularly the introduction number where Baby walks in on the staff party are genuinely sexy. Don't be surprised if you're tempted to find a partner to try and match some of these moves on screen. Patrick Swayze does a decent job with his performance, though if you're a teenage girl or someone with the heart of a teenage girl you'll be too busy drooling over his bare chest to really notice. For the guys, Jennifer Grey is lovely in a role that’s grounded in reality. I have to credit the casting choice here. She’s not too attractive to be unattainable but she’s also sexy in a young love kind of way. I guess that means I should credit her as well. I found the chemistry between the two leads to be strong, helping cement this as a picture teenagers will treasure. They're a nice couple and they have their share of tender moments.

The weakness of the film is in the story, which wraps itself up too nicely considering some of the heavier material explored in the film (if you've seen it already you know what I'm talking about but without spoiling anything, it has to do with Johnny's dance partner being in some serious trouble and Baby deciding to help her secretly) There are also quite a few moments you can see coming from far away. The villainous, jealous bad teen who's out to mess up the developing romance between Baby and Johnny, the father who won't understand, the supervisor who's "finally had enough" and that sort of thing. For me, it falls short of being a great film and just ends up being good. While the movie is going on you'll be pulled out once in a while thinking "Oh come on, couldn't you come up with anything else? " Even then, that sounds harsher than it is. I found myself enjoying it a lot because I knew what kind of story this was. In the end, you won't care about the expected tropes and plot points. They'll feel like minor blemishes. You won't mind that you saw pretty much where it was all going because you had fun while it lasted and the movie leaves you feeling cheery and lighthearted.

If you didn't grow up with "Dirty Dancing" and if the sight of the main characters perfectly choreographed together doesn't make your heart melt instantly, you'll probably wonder to yourself what the big deal was. For that reason, the movie plays better the second time around, when you know what you're getting into and you can just surrender yourself to the charming elements. Despite the flaws Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze are charismatic. Combine that with the dance numbers and the overall structure, it works. Add on a pretty solid performance by Jennifer Grey who brings to life a young woman who evolves a lot during this short episode of her life and you've got a film that the young at heart, particularly young women will latch onto. If you haven't seen it, it's worth the viewing and if you're a fan of romance films, particularly of young love, you'll fall for it just like everyone else did. (On DVD, August 10, 2013)