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Review: Save the Last Dance
It's no secret that suburban white kids comprise hip-hop's largest
audience. MTV Film's Save the Last Dance
reflects this reality.
Last Dance is a lightweight teen drama/romance about a Vermont
ballerina in Chicago's South Side. Julia Stiles plays Sara, the promising
young dancer dealing with her mother's sudden death and her relocation to
Chicago to live with her jazz-cat father in a predominantly black
neighborhood.
Love in the Air
Here Sara meets Chenille (Kerry Washington) and her brainy
brother Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who also happens to be a skillful
hip-hop and step dancer. A natural attraction emerges between the high
schoolers. With Derek's guidance, Sara sets out to unleash her inner
sistah—and possibly to revive dreams of Juilliard now that she's
received the funk injection.
MTV is known for complex, often provocative imagery, none of which
lingers onscreen long enough to make an impact. The same can be said of
Save the Last Dance. The film is agile and
aware, but not particularly curious. Excellent lead performances by Thomas
and Stiles make it fly, however. Under Thomas Carter's direction (Swing Kids) they perform with gusto and
sensitivity, leaving one to wonder what would have happened with a meatier
script.
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