After accomplishing the standard goals of a middle-class father, Sugiyama begins to experience the drudgery of his quotidian office job and discovers there is nothing he has to look forward to in life. While waiting at the train platform one evening, he spots a beautiful woman up high in the window of a dance studio and he impulsively decides to enroll. After an awkward and poorly coordinated start, Sugiyama soon makes rapid improvement and prepares for a ballroom dance competition, but he must deal with the social repercussions of his secret passion for dance and his wife’s growing suspicions.
While it firmly targets middle-class Japan, Shall We Dance? pushes beyond its demographic by telling a universally appealing story about a man who finds his passion after he thinks his life has passed him by. The well-crafted script handles the ‘feel-good’ premise in an entertaining way without succumbing to cliché or corniness. And it is further strengthened by a unique cultural look at ballroom dancing where the villain (if there is any) is society itself. A male participating in this female dominated activity is unheard of, which makes for a strong conflict when the taboo clashes with the sheer bliss this new hobby brings to Sugiyama.
The film also carries an unexpectedly rich comedic edge, from its deadpan humor to recurring gags and awkward situational comedy.
The dancing school adds a family of quirky characters with subplots of their own. There is the obstinate partner-less dancer, Toyoko, and Sugiyama’s co-worker, Aoki, who leads a double life as a quiet, refined office worker by day and an exuberant, wig-wearing dancer by night. The film’s only flaw may be that these subplots take the attention away from our empathetic protag, but there is also an undeniable sense of warmth that comes from becoming acquainted with these characters whose lives have been touched by Sugiyama’s simple impulse from one evening.
Director Masayuki Suo paces the story well, making the dancing comical, accessible and appealing to newcomers. This amateur-to-adept story takes a familiar structure and renders it fresh and inspiring, complete with elegantly edited waltz montages of Sugiyama improving in the studio, or dancing at work and the train station. The film comes highly recommended.
Reviewed by Tarun
