Shall We Dance? (1997)

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

A Japanese salaryman (Koji Yakusho) feeling jaded by work and bored with his family life, joins a ballroom dancing class.Shall We Dance? is a delightful comedy, dealing with a modest, humble man's search for exuberance, spontaneity and passion in a life he finds restrained and crushing. It has a sweetness that is remarkably unforced. The film performed strongly in American theaters earning roughly $9.7 million during its US release. At the Japanese Academy Awards it won 14 awards, every award it was eligible to win. A disastrous American remake, starring Richard Gere, was released in 2004.

First caught this movie during it's initial USA run in the mid-90s and remember finding it more comedic. Upon recent viewing, I find it downright charming more so than comedic although it certainly has several funny and amusing moments - mostly with the Mr. Aoki character, Shall we Dansu is charming in it's purest form. The movie seems to have a chance to stray into relationship and infidelity dramatic territory but nicely skirts the sleaze and takes the high road rather focusing on the job of dancing and the amusement involved with the Japanese reception or dissatisfaction of it. I enjoyed all the main characters, and the whole studio/dance development was very well conjured. Only the family scenes seemed run-of-the-mill, but this was intended to begin with. Mr. Sugiyama is especially well played as Koji Yakusho as stoic yet bumbling. The music adds to the class and atmosphere - this movie has a feel of throwback but manages modern charm. It's aged just fine in over a decade, and I enjoyed more on 2nd viewing than 1st I think. Recommended.

Have you ever danced? For most the simple answer is yes, and then of course we each like to add either our stories or explanations. For women these stories are usually pleasant, either their first dance at school, or they actually had dance training when they were younger. But for men, the tables turn. If they had ever danced, they usually say they were forced into it, that it was "only for a little while" or that they simply hated it. We all know that dancing cannot possibly be that horrendous or painful, then why do so many men find it necessary to cover-up their dancing, especially if it was out of personal interest. Now, imagine yourself in a society where dance is socially forbidden, not in any shape or form, not between husband and wife and most definitely not out of personal interest. It is considered shameful, embarrassing – but it is an escape, a way to enter an alternate universe of your life in a split second, would you do it? What if dancing forced you into secrecy and as hard as you tried to deny it, it became your passion. Would you let dancing go because of society or would you keep it close to your heart forever, if your heart deems it necessary?Mr. Sugiyama was a successful Japanese businessman, a "salary-man" who stayed late at work and went out with co-workers afterward, a custom necessary for your success within a company. Usually coming home late, he knew that tomorrow was going to be the same as the day before and the 20th day from now; his life has been set for him. On the train on the way back home he notices a young woman looking out a window on the top floor of a building. She catches his attention immediately and after many debates with himself, over several days, he decides to come see her, only to find out it is a dancing establishment. He gives it a chance nonetheless, and once he finds Mr. Aoki, a fellow co-worker, hiding behind a wig at this same establishment, he starts to gain confidence and awareness that maybe it is alright to enjoy dance. He becomes engrossed in it, disciplining every aspect of his dancing whether on the train or even at work, and dance gives life to him, showing in simply the way he rides his bike. Yet Mai, the woman who first caught his attention and an instructor within the school, has seemed to lose this passion that he just found for dance. It takes one dancing competition, in which Mr. Sugiyama participates and Mai instructs him, for both of them to face their fears, define their personal meaning of dance, and determine what is truly important and necessary in their lives. Maybe not everyone can relate to dancing, but there may be something that each of us has in our hearts to do that we are simply forbidden. Moreover, I believe this picture correctly portrays the passions of humankind, the lack thereof, and the effects of both on the human being. The director allows us to see Mr. Sugiyama's transformation, how Mr. Sugiyama first develops his passion for dance showing no longer just at the dance school, but everywhere else, at work and at home. In contrast, the director shows Mai, an almost stoic woman who has this opportunity to dance and yet it no longer brings life to her. The acting is wonderful and we are left wondering what it is that happened to her and whether Mr. Sugiyama will continue to dance. However, something seems to be missing in this film. I believe the director could have given more life to the picture itself, especially when representing something so expressive as dance. It may be that factor that I have danced before, but other than some short scenes at the beginning or end, this picture lacked an artistic aspect to give life to the passions of those involved. There is only so much that a storyline and acting can provide, and the artistic element fills in the vacancies. For me, the director failed to do so, both within the dance studio and during the competitions.

I loved how much of a family movie this was. I saw both of the Shall We Dance movies and I felt that JLo was being too seductive with a married man.The only thing I didn't like in the Shall We Dansu was that the whole movie was in Japanese so I had to read the subtitles fast to understand what was going on. Other than that, 2 THUMBS UP!!! The dances were so fascinating and I loved the plot of the movie.I believe that even though it was Japanese, people will love the movie all together and want to watch it over and over and over again. I'm even amazed that this movie isn't very popular.Rent that movie and wish to see it again with the family.