Rating:
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  Richard
  
Attwood
Save the Last Dance
USA, 2001
[Thomas Carter]
Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Bianca Lawson
Romance / Teen
  
First, a brief disclaimer: I would hope it would be obvious that this was not my first choice of video rental, however when there are girls involved certain concessions must be made to ensure you are allowed to get the video you genuinely want to see. I�d also like to say that, being a completely impartial reviewer (sometimes) I paid careful attention to the aforementioned girls� reactions and expressions throughout with a view to getting a better demographic. And because at times that was more interesting than the film itself. But anyway�

Julia Stiles plays a teenager who, after her mother dies rushing to a ballet audition (in a car crash, not through fatigue or a twisted ankle), swears she will never dance again and moves in with her estranged father in his cramped inner city apartment. Her new school draws from a largely black population and although she takes little time settling in, they are not as tolerant of her burgeoning relationship with her friend�s brother. What begins as hip-hop dance lessons to save her embarrassment at the local club blossoms into romance and causes resentment as he is the one of the few black students who has the potential to really make something of his life.

Julia Stiles seems a perfectly natural actress in this kind of role, and the rest of the young cast are accomplished enough. Unfortunately I pretty much could have written down the plot in its entirety after seeing the pictures on the back of the video box. That being said it didn�t drag at all and the soundtrack was okay, plus I quite like hip-hop dancing and Stiles, so it kept me entertained enough while I waited for the chance to stick my choice of video on. Of course I have to mention the girl�s opinions and they seemed completely caught up in the whole fairytale romance thing. So if this is your kind of light entertainment as opposed to the dumb action popcorner, it is an above average reworking of a well-worn concept.
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