When will i, will i be famous.... i cant answer, i cant answer that!....
When will i, will i be famous.... i cant answer, i cant answer that!....
Member since:19.07.2001
Reviews:31
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Centre stage is a film about dance students at the American Ballet Academy in New York. It follows the characters for a year, with the main focus on Jody Sawyer, a not very turned out student, with bad feet. The film is about young dancers, and is relatively modern.
The film begins with the tryouts for the school, where its apparent that Jody is picked more for her beauty and stage prescience, rather than her amazing ballet technique. It follows her and her friends during the time at the school, and after a year, eight students have to be picked to join the company. Of course, these are much-desired places, and there is a lot of competition between the students to win the places. At the heart of the competition, is Maureen, Jody's roommate, her mother works for the company, and is your typical pushy mother. Jody's other roommate is Eva, the rebel, who doesn’t care what people think.
During her time at the ballet school, Jody naturally encounters romance (well it is a teen movie after all!). She falls far one of the choreographers, who inevitably breaks her heart. Don’t feel too bad though, things do get better for her. She learns that ballet school isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The best thing about the film is the dancing. The film is a must for ballet fans, as it shows "behind the scenes" at a ballet school, and also some marvellous dancing shows. The dancing is amazing. I've studied ballet since I was 3, and it was so interesting and inspiring for me to watch. The best part is the dance exhibition at the end, as it combines traditional ballet with contemporary dance, something you would not have thought from a traditional American ballet company.
There are lots of characters in this film, and many of them look a like! This seems rather odd, as there is a girl who looks just like Jody, and two main characters that look quite similar. The main characters are -
Jody - A beautiful, but very naive girl, who isn’t the most talented of dancers it seems.
Eva - Jody's roommate and friend. She appears to be a rebel, and doesn’t care what people think. Despite this, she is very talented and dedicated (Although she smokes and then tells other people off for eating junk food, as its “bad for your body”!?!)
Maureen - Appears bitchy, but very dedicated, with a pushy mother.
Cooper - Is one of the company’s choreographers, and Jody falls for him.
The film covers issues such as bulimia, homosexuality, dance, heartbreak, and teen romance. Although the plot isn’t electrifying, the dancing really does make up for it. Also, the characters are likeable, and well portrayed, so it’s easy and fun to watch.
The acting is of a reasonable standard. The cast are newcomers, and unheard of actors. The cast is combined of actors who can dance, and dancers who can act.
In conclusion, this is a good film to see, if you're looking for light entertainment. It’s a must for ballet fans, and many teenagers would like it too. It’s a bit like a soap opera. Although it hasn’t had terrific reviews, its still worth a watch. The dancing sets it aside from other films, and it has a good soundtrack too.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
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![Center Stage [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78493650.jpg "Center Stage [DVD] [2000]")
Aug 20th, 2001
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