Movie Reviews
Audiences Will Get Swept Away with Love N' Dancing
By Sandra Plazinic |
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 Love N’ Dancing begins by revealing the glorious days of West Coast Swing dancing champions Jake Mitchell (Tom Malloy) and Corinne Kennedy (Nicola Royston), winning yet another championship. On the dance floor, it seems like Jake and Corinne are the perfect couple. But even as they are being crowned for the second time, the two find themselves in the middle of a dispute.
Jake is deaf because of an ear infection he had as a teenager, and dances to the vibrations of the music with the help of his hearing aid. He feels that makes him undeserving to win a title--perhaps the judges just gave him the win out of sympathy?--but, pressured by Corinne, continues to compete. Eventually, the partners decide to break up and move on with their lives.
That’s when Jake meets Jessica Donovan (Amy Smart), a middle school English teacher who is about to get married to her fiancé of two years and is desperate for a little excitement in her life. Intrigued by Jake, all of Jessica’s childhood dreams of dancing on Broadway unfold in front of her eyes. She feels an instant connection talking to Jake and asks him for private lessons. Her fiancé, Kent (Billy Zane), however, shows little excitement for dancing. He is a workaholic who cares more about making money than making Jessica happy.
While Kent is busy trying to close multi-million-dollar deals, Jake and Jessica find themselves drawn closer to each other in the dance studio. A new partner means new inspiration for Jake, and as time goes by, he asks Jessica to compete with him at the World Championships of Swing in the Pro-Am division. As Jessica shows quick improvement, they decide to go for it all and try for the World Title that Jake never felt he deserved.
 As the two grow more intimate on and off the dance floor, Jake’s old partner resurfaces and suddenly wants him back. Will he give in to the pressure he has always caved in to, or will Jake finally learn to make decisions for himself and stand by his new partner?
Love N’ Dancing is a refreshing film that showcases the many different types of Swing choreography. While it may be a little overwhelming for the average moviegoer, since I danced professionally for 15 years, it was nice to see all that dancing didn’t end up on the cutting room floor. Dance can be difficult to film, but director Robert Iscove does a wonderful job capturing the art. Perhaps that’s because he was a choreographer himself. Some of the scenes, though, are so perfectly executed that audiences can’t help but lose themselves in the dancing. The movie almost seems a bit reminiscent of films from Hollywood’s golden era, movies like Singin’ in the Rain.
Love N’ Dancing’s soundtrack is also worth noting, since I never knew you could Swing dance to a rock or country song before--not to mention pop and hip-hop music.
Tom Malloy brings some real sensitivity to his character, and I thought it was a smart move to bring up the issue of a physical handicap in a dance movie. It should help Love N’ Dancing attract a broader audience and definitely works in the movie’s favor.
 Amy Smart is, as usual, very candid in her role, and does a great job memorizing and executing her dance routines. Meanwhile, Billy Zane is ever so loathsome in his role as the fiancé who loves work more than his soon-to-be wife.
If you like watching “Dancing with the Stars,” you will definitely enjoy Love N’ Dancing. And who knows…you may even find yourself practicing some new moves on the street or in the bathroom.
Love N’ Dancing is now playing in limited release.
For more information, visit the film’s official Web site.
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