Shall We Dance?

A remake of Masayuki Suo's 1996 worldwide hit of the same name, 'Shall We Dance?' is typical of Americanized versions of flavorful foreign cinematic recipes. It grinds down many of the unique ingredients of the original and produces some bland mush, while still retaining the same basic premise. Yet, while 'Shall We Dance?' won't erase fond memories of the original, on its own terms it's a pleasant and surprisingly marriage-minded little concoction.

Richard Gere plays John Clark, husband to Beverly (Susan Sarandon), who's suffering the middle-aged blues. His life lacks sparkle and passion, and his marriage lacks sizzle. Then he sees the beautiful, forlorn dance instructor Paula (Jennifer Lopez) staring out the window of a local dance studio. Smitten, and just a little bit reckless, he signs up for her class, hoping to explore the flirtation while still playing by the "rules" of monogamy.

Soon John's long evening absences begin to concern Beverly, as well as their daughter (Tamara Hope), and even some of his fellow classmates (including Stanley Tucci and Bobby Cannavale) exchange knowing glances about the growing chemistry between him and Paula. The plot really shifts into gear when Paula taps a private detective (Richard Jenkins) to follow John, and eventually discovers his "affair." Will John succumb to the temptation and dance away with Paula, especially as he's preparing for the big championship dance competition despite Paula's growing suspicions?

'Shall We Dance?' reminds me of a "So You Think You Can Dance?" version of the little-remembered Gere film 'Intersection.' The story is essentially the same, albeit the device is dance, not drama -- Gere must choose between two women (his older wife, and a younger woman) at the middle-aged crossroads of his life. It's hardly new material, and it's certainly familiar to Gere (who has been excelling at playing these kind of conflicted characters lately). If director Peter Chelsom never does achieve the same light-yet-serious tone of the original 'Shall We Dance?', Gere does another fine job of conveying John's conflicting emotions -- his sense of loyalty versus the undeniable attraction to his new dance infatuation -- enough that he holds together the basic premise.

Where the new 'Shall We Dance?' stumbles is in going too broad with its comedy. The Gere-Lopez and Gere-Sarandon scenes all ring true, with nice understated chemistry between the leads, but Chelsom injects some other flights of fancy that fall flat. Tucci goes a bit overboard with the flamboyant "comedic relief" (he's about as subtle as C-3PO), while the underrated Cannavale is pretty much dropped from the movie after the first half. And while the dance sequences are well-staged and often quite sexy, the film again interjects too much intentionally slapstick-y, 'Strictly Ballroom' like shenanigans which only distract from the main action.

'Shall We Dance?' is ultimately worth a watch if only because it offers an unusual take on your typical "mid-life crisis, man-has-an-affair" movie. I won't spoil the film's ending, but it's rare to find a movie that manages to observe and understand the male urge to seek solace outside of a stale marriage, yet doesn't make adultery seem cute or coy. Which is why it's a shame that Chelsom didn't have more faith in the dramatic underpinnings of his story. By going too broad, 'Shall We Dance?' lacks bite. It's just enough fun to warrant a watch, but isn't nearly as meaty as it could have been.