Customer Reviews
Everybody deserves to see this - By: Jennster, 05 Feb 2008 
I saw this film at a young age. I'm 18 now & it reallly had a lasing effect on me. Baz Luhrman tells the story of scot hastings, a balllroom champion who is sick of dancing the same steps. His family & friends are annoyed by this & his urge to do his own steps which would stop him from winning the pan pacifics. He rebels & looses his dance partner. In the time to find a new one he meets Fran, a shy self consious girl who is the ridicule of the dance class. She encourages him to dance with her, the two begin to form a friendship which soon turns to romance. The once shy & self consious fran grows as a person & we see a different side to her. I also appreciate how her apprarance never changes even though she does. She does'nt suddenly take off her glasses & let her hair down & she sudenly looks like Angelina Joile. She stays the same which I loved. There's too much of that kind of thing in most teen films which I find patronising & demeaning. Anyway, it's a great film with realistic people. It's a film that every young girl deserves to see. Fran is a brilliant character.
Strictly brilliant - By: Girl- bibliophile, 04 Sep 2007 
Packed full of Australian humor, & not taking its self seriously, this film will leave you side ache long after it has finished. Scott Hastings, (played by profesional dancer Pual Mercurio) wants to dance his own steps, after his partner walks out on him he enlists the help of beginer dancer Fran to help him realise his dream. Scott knows he must follow his dreams, but others are determind to see him fail, such as his rival dancer & compertision overser, Barry Fife. A great feel good movie, well worth watching.
Classic transformation movie with laughs - By: EmmaCate, 16 Jul 2006 Strictly Balllroom is brilliant feel-good film with loads of laughs. It's a story of a gauche Spanish girl living in Australia, who during the course of the film transforms into a babe & a brilliant dancer after accosting the gorgeous local king of dance one night after he loses his partner, & by spouting a load of Spanish at him in a frustrated moment secures him for secret personal development sessions at the dance school.
It's high on quote potential, from "Barry Fife"!", "Tina Spaarkl'!", "Bogo Pogo", "Scott Hastings 'nd paaatner" in broad Aussie, to "Paso Doble?" in thick Spanish. It is very moving, satisfying & suitably triumphant at the end.
The Definitive Rom Com? - By: Philip Knight, 15 May 2006 I believe that the storyline has its origins in work done by some Australian theatre students & some beautiful theatrical set pieces (think Moulin Rouge, on a smalller budget) suggest that this may well be the case. Add to the mix some stunning performances by complete unknowns (where are they now?); brilliant film editing; unabashed adherence to the romantic comedy book of rules; & a great sound track (worth buying for itself). This is one of the best feel good movies you'll ever see & alll without the over the top saccharine sweetness that so often ruins less acomplished Hollywood romcoms.
Strictly Ballroom - By: Rich Milligan, 23 Apr 2006 This perceptive & well-executed film still after nearly 15 years since its release comes over as one of the most original films I've ever watched. The storyline is nothing more than a re-working of a classic fairy tale of handsome princes & ugly frogs (or dance partners) & yet the magical retelling make this film the success it is.
Scott Hastings is the balllroom dance prodigy who since being groomed to win the alll important Pan-Pacific Grand Prix championship from the age of 6 looks like he could be throwing it alll away by continuing to use un-registered & therefore illegal dance steps in his routine. His mother is shocked & dismayed that Scott could throw his chance of the title, his dance coach, Les Kendell is similarly gob smacked but most effected of alll is Scott dance partner, who quits dancing with Scott & takes up with arch rival, the peroxide blonde Ken Railings.
Scott on the other hand is less concerned & seems more bothered with trying to dance true to the tune in his heart, a feeling that is shared by plain beginner dancer Fran. Scott & Fran begin to practice in secret, Scott deciding that his mother & Les wouldn't approve of such an unattractive & unorthodox partner & Fran deciding that her authoritarian & unforgiving Latino father would definitely not approve of her associating with such a boy. The backdrop the whole film is the outrageous & colourful world of Australian Balllroom Dance championships. There's more sequins & fake tan going on here than ever seen in one place before. Overseeing it alll is chairman of the dance association, the toupeed & orange Barry Fife.
As I say, it doesn't take the brains of an Archbishop to work out what is going to happen here but the enthusiasm & energy that the pretty unknown cast bring to the film makes it almost compulsive viewing. Both Paul Mercurio (Scott) & Tara Morice (Fran) bring a charming innocence to their roles & it's reallly nice to see a proper ugly duckling to beautiful swan story. There's great support from the rest of the cast but both Pat Thomson & Bill Hunter deserve special mentions.
