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Last Updated: Feb 22nd, 2008 - 08:03:07 |
Is it time for the annual dance movie already?
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| Profiling in the annual dance movie. |
“How She Move,” produced by MTV Films, which also brought us “Save the Last Dance,” is the latest entry into this genre, which taps into popular culture and youthful energy.
Though it cannot help but be somewhat formulaic—a talented dancer faces obstacles to succeeding in life—“How She Move” freshens up the mix by taking as its protagonist a working class Black girl, Raya, who is struggling to remain enrolled at an expensive private high school. The film also attempts to tap into the Caribbean flavor that popular crossover artists such as Sean Paul and Beenie Man have brought to play lists and the dance floor
Raya and her world is decidedly Jamaican American, or “Jamerican,” though the production is not as geographically specific and rich as it should be (readers have advised me that the setting is actually Toronto, Canada, a short trip from Detroit). The world of stepping that she and her friends compete in is blended into a culture of second generation immigrants who, in contrast to their parents, either have no speaking accent at all, or who have one so seldom that some expressions in the script sound forced or fake. While their strict Jamaican parents, particularly their mothers, try to keep them on track in school to fulfill the American dream, they are more interested in the fun and possible cash winnings from the competitive dance world.
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| Rutina Wesley is a newcomer to the big screen. |
The particular immigrant journey and tragedy of Raya and her parents gives “How She Move” its substance, which is not much more than what is on a decent television drama. The filmmakers, director Ian Iqbal Rashid and writer Annmarie Morais, both of whom come from the world of television, press all the right and familiar buttons but don’t exactly make magic on the big screen. Their task, no doubt, was made even more daunting, working with a newcomer, Rutina Wesley, in the starring role. Wesley, well cast for the part, is a welcomed breath of fresh air in this kind of role (no more video vixens please!) but she does not make Raya very likeable. On the other hand, any such shortcomings must be also attributed to the script, which pigeonholes Raya into being a stiff, somewhat snobby girl who is only concerned with getting ahead—by any means necessary.
Raya’s best friend/worst enemy in the plot, Michelle, is played by Tre Armstrong, who has great screen presence and has made regular appearances in dance movies, including “Save the Last Dance,” “Shall We Dance” and “Honey.”
Though the dance routines in “How She Move” do not match the energy level achieved in last year’s “Stomp the Yard” or “You Got Served” from 2004, they are entertaining. With singer Keyshia Cole making an appearance, “How She Move” may especially appeal to a youthful audience but it could have been more. Even the uninspiring promotional poster seems to promote some other kind of dance, some other kind of dancer and some other kind of world. It is only because of its bits and pieces of what is fresh that “How She Move” manages to move us at all.
© Copyright 2006 SeeingBlack.com
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