Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a review of one of the longest titled pictures in recent memory (one that didn't have a : or - in the title ie LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING or STAR WARS - EPISODE 3: REVENGE OF THE SITH, etc) called MARILYN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCING AND CHARM SCHOOL. This indie got a lot of good word out of Sundance and I'm really interested in the flick. I love the set-up and I'll see anything with John Goodman in it. Here's the review! Enjoy!
Hi Harry.
You've published a couple of my reviews in the past so thought I'd drop you a mail on the movie I've just been to see at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the horribly overlongly named Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm school starring Robert Carlyle.
Having taken to our seats we were introduced to both the writer/producer/director Randall Miller and the star of the movie, Trainspottings Begbie Robert Carlyle. Following a very quick intro the film rolled.
I'd read a review in the Scotsman that morning which had slated the film claiming it was awful and only giving it 1 star so to be honest went in expecting the worse, however this wasn't really the case and the reviewer was a bit unfair to say the least.
The film opens with us seeing Carlyles baker character, Frank Keane, driving his bakers van down the road when he is overtaken by the other main character in the movie Steve Mills played by John Goodman. Steves car crashes just down the road to be found by Keane and in order to keep Steve alive starts questioning him on where he was going and so begins the tale.
Basic premise is of Goodmans character recounting his tale of his childhood dance lessons and the girl he fell in love with then (told in flashbacks) who had agreed to meet years later at the same dance school on a particular day that year and was on his way there to meet her when the accident happened. Keane ends up taking up the quest to attempt to meet the young love Lisa. Keane himself has recently lost his wife and this adventure leads to him being forced to open up and face the reality that hes lost her for good and that he can once more find love.
Theres various cute twists along the way in what is basically a touching feelgood movie with a fable like quality. The story is in places a bit disjointed and is in no way perfect but due to the slightly fantastical feeling to it I think it gets away with most of the flaws in the story flow.
The very good leads are well supported by various guests who gave their services for free (the film was financed by the director himself with no studio help) including Donnie Wahlberg as a wonderful Michael Flattley wannabe, Sean Astin as a member of Keanes dead wifes support group and a brief appearance by Danny Devito.
Following the film Carlyle and Miller returned to do a Q&A where they explained how the film came about (it was based on a 15 year old short movie by Miller), various parts of the story etc and in general were very entertaining and well spoken.
Overall I'd say its an entertaining movie, in places funny and in others quite touching, hardly a classic but a fun enough movie, well acted and filmed, just flawing a bit in the cut.
Call me The Lost Boy.
Cheers.
