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Before she became America's sweetheart in
Felicity, Keri Russell adopted an Irish brogue and starred as a willowy, wealthy lass with a passion for dancing in this coming-of-age romantic comedy. She's the object of affection for working-class William Ash, a football-loving lad who signs up for classes, hoping to acquire a little of the Latin flair of a Brazilian soccer superstar with moves like Fred Astaire. "We don't run with the ball, we dance," and so does Ash when he falls for snooty class star Russell. Imagine an adolescent mix of
Strictly Ballroom and
Shall We Dance dropped into 1980s Belfast amid the Troubles, complete with "the big dance contest," romantic complications, and a splashy happy ending.
The charismatic Russell is a fine dancer and shows moxie between icy stares and swoony looks. Unfortunately Ash is never more than a generic, spunky street kid with a heart of gold. Writer-director John Forte injects the working-class edge of British comedies with his off-handed inclusion of political tensions and prickly classist remarks. Nothing too surprising ever complicates the romance as the gritty world melts into an unlikely fairy tale in a silly but rousing climax. The film's not really credible, but Russell's charms and the sheer energy and color of the dancing give it the innocence of an old-fashioned musical amid the tense realities of real life. --Sean Axmaker
