This
latin flavored Dirty Dancing wasn't half as bad as I expected it to be. Thanks,
mostly, to it's likable leads, Vanessa L. Williams and Chayanne. Chayanne plays
a Cuban immigrant who moves to the States to find his father, whom he has never
met. While in America, he develops a friendship with a dance instructor, Williams,
and shows her how to let the music take you over.
Director
Randa Haines (Children of a Lesser God and The Doctor) keeps things simple--letting
the dance sequences overpower the less than original plot--thus allowing the movie
to succeed on the strength of it's passionate and inspired choreography. The
problem with Dance With Me is that as the film progresses, it becomes less and
less interesting. This is due mostly to the corny plot, particularly the father
and son relationship. Also, Kris Kristofferson, as an aging dancer, can't manage
to breathe life into his character. Come to think of it, with exception of his
part in John Sayles' Lone Star, Kristofferson hasn't done anything worthwhile
in the 90's.
Still,
Dance with Me does have Chayanne and Williams. They both possess plenty of on-screen
chemistry and boy can they move!
