Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Brave new steps put Scott's career in jeopardy. With a new partner and determination, can he still succeed?
Strictly Ballroom is Baz Luhrmann's debut and a genuinely singular piece of work — its hyper-stylized, campy theatricality, maximalist costume design, and mockumentary-tinged approach to the ballroom dance world give it an unmistakable voice that launched the 'Red Curtain Trilogy.' The novelty is real and high. The plot is a familiar underdog-romance arc but executed with enough energy and self-awareness to sit above average. Acting is committed and colourful — Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice carry genuine charm — though it skews broad by design. Cinematography is vibrant and expressive, serving Luhrmann's theatrical aesthetic well without being technically groundbreaking on its own terms. The ending is crowd-pleasing and emotionally satisfying but entirely conventional for the genre — a rousing finale that delivers exactly what is expected.