Dirty Dancing (1987)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  9 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: When you break it down, Dirty Dancing is basically a film about whether you can escape the trappings of your circumstances, but one where that expression is forced through the membrane of a wole lot more sexy dancing, big hair and bouncy rock and roll than we got in the likes of, say, the hilariously comparable 'Parasite.' It follows a rich daddy's girl called Baby who goes to a summer retreat and strikes up an unlikely romance with ballroom dance coach Johnny, and their differing classes and upbringings cause rifts in their outlooks on life. Baby thinks you can do anything, but Johnny is defeated, moving job to job and looking after his troubled best friend. All it takes is a few dances and smoky scenes however and the conclusion of the film is that you can do what you like if you want it enough. That's a very optimistic outlook, but even if it might have been interesting to see a Dirty Dancing 2 in which Johnny is scrounging for his next meal whilst Baby blissfully enjoys life at the top, seeing something work its way through to a joyous, non-sinical and heart-filled conclusion is sometimes exactly what you need.
  That's especially successful here because the film is executed so irresistably it's like some great rock and roll record where you just can't help but tap your feet. The dance numbers are magnetic even for the the most un-initiated, and the 80s vision of the 60s we see on the screen is joyous, but mostly you can't take your eyes of the screen because the central romance is brought to life so well. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey share brilliant chemistry and the script has their romance blossom in an intriguing way, and all in all that - mixed with the overarching ingredients - makes for a joyous, uplifting and engaging film that you'll surely enjoy if you drop your cynicism for a couple of hours.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: There's no getting away from the fact the camera's lens is highly rose-tinted...
  
  VERDICT: A story about whether one can escape the trappings of circumstance told through the membrane of a blossoming romance and lots of sexy dancing and tight clothing, 'Dirty Dancing,' is a fun, optimistic watch that will keep you engaged if you manage to drop your cynicism.

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