Gracing the screen

The print ads for Shall We Dance? suggest a throwback to the days of Astaire and Rogers.

Indeed, the dancing is good and, in the case of Jennifer Lopez, it is quite stunning. However, the choreography is not the best reason to see this movie, a remake of a highly regarded Japanese film by the same name.

The best reason to see Shall We Dance? is that it’s funny. It’s not funny in a side-splitting, lose-your-lunch kind of way. It’s funny in a way that leaves a smile on your face long after you have stopped laughing. It’s funny in a way that reminds you that we’re all human and all liable to make mistakes and look foolish.

Every day, accountant John Clark (Richard Gere) rides the El past a dance studio where the same mysterious woman is pensively, almost sadly looking out the window. He becomes more and more curious until he finally gets off at that stop and signs up for dance lessons. Though at first John is wondering what he got into, he begins to realize his bold move is the best thing he’s done in a long time.

Soon, John is more alive than he’s ever been, wondering why he didn’t take up dancing years ago. But his newfound joy has wife Beverly (Susan Sarandon) suspicious, and she hires a private detective to find out what’s making her husband so happy.

Actor-turned-director Peter Chelsom is largely responsible for the warmth and gentle humor of Shall We Dance? Chelsom, hardly a household name in this country, is known mostly by art-film aficionados as the director of Hear My Song, a breezy, also warm little film starring Ned Beatty as an Irish tenor. The director brings to this movie a real eye for human behavior and all its little quirks.

Shall We Dance? also boasts an excellent ensemble cast. It could be argued that John is the main character, but the movie also is about how all of the students ended up in dance class and what it means to their lives. And what a cast it is.

Stanley Tucci, who is always excellent, gets to show his silly side as a lawyer with a big secret and runs away with just about every scene. Gere has a subtle maturity and grace — both physical and moral — that seem to ground the movie. Lopez also is excellent and seems to be more than happy in what is slightly more than a supporting role. Also worth mentioning are old pro Anita Gillette, Lisa Ann Walter and Richard Jenkins as a grizzled-but-wise private investigator.

Those seeing the movie just for the dancing will not be disappointed, but don’t be surprised if you laugh more than once. Shall We Dance? is just that delightful.

Shall We Dance?
PG-13
Starts tomorrow at area theaters
Three reels out of four

Recommended Rental Garfield: The Movie
PG
Available Tuesday

Garfield: The Movie will never be mistaken for a children’s classic, not that it’s trying to be. It’s just trying to be faithful to the tone and humor of the wildly popular comic strip on which it’s based, and on those terms it succeeds nicely. Bill Murray is along for the ride as the voice of the medically obese, lasagna-loving feline. Before he started getting Oscar nominations, he was everybody’s favorite smart aleck, so who else would play the part? The story, revolves around a lovely vet (Jennifer Love-Hewitt) who has enchanted Garfield’s owner, John (Breckin Meyer). When she asks John to care for an adorable puppy, John naturally acquiesces, making Garfield’s life a living hell.