7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Scott Hastings is a champion caliber ballroom dancer, but much to the chagrin of the Australian ballroom dance community, Scott believes in dancing "his own steps". Fran is a beginning dancer and a bit of an ugly duckly who has the audacity to ask to be Scott's partner after his unorthodox style causes his regular partner to dance out of his life. Together, these two misfits try to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championships and show the Ballroom Confederation that they are wrong when they say, "there are no new steps!"
Starring: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter (I), Gia Carides, Barry OttoRomance | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Approximately sixteen years ago Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom became the darling of critics and audiences around the world. From Cannes (Award of the Youth), to Bogota (Golden Precolumbian Circle), to London (ALFS Award), to Vancouver (Most Popular Film Award), the story of two dancers willing to break the restrictive boundaries of old clichés proved impossible to resist. Courtesy of UK-based distributors ITV-Granada.
Scott (Mercurio), an ambitious ballroom dancer, is preparing diligently for the contest of his life – the Australian Pan Pacific Championship. He dreams of winning the gold.
Fran (Morice), a shy Spanish girl, is a beginner – she likes dancing but does not believe her time will ever come. Yet, she secretly dreams of sharing the stage with Scott.
As luck will have it Scott’s extravagant new steps are dismissed by his mother, a retired dancer, and just about everyone else around him. During a federation contest he is also dismissed by the judges for his frivolous improvisations. His partner Liz (Gia Carides) loudly denounces him and leaves.
Fran enters.
Shy at first Fran offers to show Scott a few of her steps. Scott isn’t impressed but with hardly any time to find a new partner he agrees to train with Fran. Until a better offer comes along. But the more the couple trains the more it becomes obvious that Scott might have found his dream partner. And more. Romance is in the air. The Pan Pacific Championship arrives and Scott is warned again that his new style of dancing will force the judges, outspoken traditionalists, to disqualify him. But Scott and Fran are determined to dance.
Where is my dream partner?
Presented on Blu-ray high-definition in 1080p Strictly Ballroom has been slightly cropped from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 to 1.78:1. This being said, the actual transfer will more than likely prove to be a topic for passionate discussions. Why? Because there is a varying degree of sharpness and detail throughout a number of scenes which is quite obvious (especially if you view the disc on a larger than 50' screen) even for the untrained eye. But before you dismiss this disc it is probably a good idea to hear why Strictly Ballroom looks the way it does. As I mentioned in the synopsis above it was Baz Luhrmann's debut feature and as such was finalized under some quite frustrating conditions - the budget was incredibly small (you shall notice quickly), the different locations required multiple takes, etc. With other words, if you are looking for the image and composition perfectionism Baz delivered in Moulin Rouge I am quite certain Strictly Ballroom will not meet your expectations. With this tiny disclaimer out of the way the actual presentation is certainly above average. The color-scheme is intact and notably livelier than the one seen on the R1 DVD, contrast is acceptable, and I could not detect any signs of DNR manipulation (such would have been quite shocking to begin with since all of these ITV discs offer unrestored HD prints). So, film grain, I am happy to report, looks to be untouched. More importantly when blown up the image does not break - a side effect the SDVD transfer certainly could not offset adequately. As far as the quality of the actual print is concerned I must note that there are a few tiny scratches here and there that I noticed during the opening scenes but nothing that should prevent you from enjoying the film. So, to sum it all up, if you are looking for a sparkling new print of Strictly Ballroom (and if such materializes it will certainly not be what you probably have in mind given the source limitations described earlier) then I must suggest that you wait for Miramax to deliver one. Which I don't foresee happening any time soon given that the director's widely acclaimed Moulin Rouge is yet to be introduced on Blu-ray by Fox. Yet, if you are looking to see this marvelous film in the best possible presentation currently available in any market then this UK produced disc is it.
There are two different tracks found on this disc – English Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. Both of those mixes are quite good. I personally opted for the original Mono track as I prefer to avoid secondary, even if elaborate, mixes. This being said, the Mono track does not reveal any issues. The marvelous soundtrack comes off the speakers flawlessly. There is enough richness and variety here even if the Mono track does not sound as effective as some prefer. A quick switch to the 5.1 track brings much more depth and I am fairly certain clarity. There is a notably better separation between music and dialog and I also noticed that during a few selected scenes (the first encounter between Fran's father and Scott) there is better overall balance. Disturbing hissing, pop-ups, or cracks are not present. Optional English subtitles are provided.
If you are using a region A PS3 or SA then the only extra that you would have access to on this disc is the offered in HD original theatrical trailer. The Behind The Scenes documentary and music video for John Paul Young's "Love is in the Air" are presented in standard-def PAL hence you won't be able to see them.
A personal favorite of mine Strictly Ballroom arrives on BD courtesy of British distribs ITV. I am truly happy to be able to add this excellent, if somewhat naïve, little gem to my collection. The acting is full of flavor, the music is irresistible, the dancing is intoxicating, what more could one ask from a film. The transfer may not be everyone's cup of tea but I am pleased. It is better than what I have on my SDVD and it is most certainly better than the dusty LD I own.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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