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Title: A Sweet Triumph for Baz Luhrmann
Review: Being one of the folks who genuinely enjoyed "Moulin Rouge" I may be a little biased in terms of Lurhman's ability to dissect and enchant his audiences, ensuring a novel pleasure ride every time - from his raucous "Romeo + Juliet" to his incandescant "Sunscreen" rap-graduation-speech-single. "Strictly Ballroom" is an early gem of a film that established the auteur-director in the minds of critics as a force to be reckoned with, and it's easy to see why. The movie soars like "Rocky" in its underdog and come-from-behind sequences and then boogies like "Dirty Dancing" only with far superior storytelling and plot devices that keep it fresh after repeated viewings. The principals are uniformly fine, fresh faced and passionate dancers, and Luhrman paces his show with remarkable staidness and simplicity - certainly nothing like his later edit-a-second epics. "Strictly Ballroom" is a model of restraint but dares to tell its story with guts. Thoroughly enjoyable.
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