Fast Footwork or Camera Tricks?
Added 10/12/2009
As a young adult my dream was to become a Ballerina, so when I saw this movie, I was transfixed to the screen. To see Julie Kent (Principal Dancer for ABT) play Kathleen Donahue added some credibility to the story. The story was a little weak, mostly about snippy personalities, eating disabilities, highschool drama type of fluff. But for a die hard like me, I did not care. I was watching for the love of dance! If you are like me, you will enjoy this movie too, however it will leave you wondering if it really delivers on the fancy footwork, or is it just camera tricks?
Still, all in all, I like this movie. And hope you do to. Ballet is one of the hardest and most rewarding artforms there is ... without Ballet, my life would have been dull. Enjoy.
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One for the Ages
Added 8/12/2009
I remember when this movie came out no one would go to see it with me, and I spent hours begging all my friends to come. The problem was that none of them wanted to see a movie with Peter Gallagher. I even advertised on line for a date, and got not one reply.
Well, I went to see it at the bargain matinee at the SONY Metreon here in San Francisco, and even on a small screen I was captivated. The story is filled with cliches, but they're my cliches! They're actually the cliches of every 20th Century Fox movie from the 1920s onward that focuses on three girls in the big city, from How to Marry a Millionaire through The Best of Everything and even Valley of the Dolls. Often, in this formula, there's a fourth girl who doesn't exactly fit in with the others in some way--really it's a three and a half girl movie formula. Like in Valley of the Dolls you have Helen Lawson. Often the fourth girl is more tragic than the others, attempts suicide or something. This happens in Where the Boys Are for example. Well, in CENTER STAGE the three girls are Jody, the blonde heroine; Eva, the black middle class girl who's always smoking a cigarette (my wife says that Zoe Saldana relies entirely on cigarettes to perform her idea of characterization) and Maureen, the perfect dancer who is the victim of an emotionally abusive stage mother (Debra Monk). The fourth girl, Emily, is too small a part really to count, but she's the chubby one.
The men are a mixed bag but Ethan Stiefel dances beautifully. He is no Baryshnikov in looks however, and that hairdo is a mistake gone wild! (Even Baryshnikov couldn't have carried off that haircut.) He's a good actor and has lots of sparks with Amanda Schull.
The whole movie belongs really to Donna Murphy, the Broadway diva who is playing the former ballerina Juliet here, the woman who develops a bond of quality assurance with Eva. They despise each other, admire each other, and finally, they come to love each other as surrogate mother and daughter. She gives CENTER STAGE whatever class it has, and you needed that one bit of seasoning to make the whole soup palatable.
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This movie is almost 4 stars.
Added 3/27/2009
It shows pretty well an array of rather common issues some females have (and have to deal with) from day to day:
Lust, Broken hearts, Bitterness, (an) Eating disorder and Cattiness.
Sounds like fun, eh?
Well it is! And I can't believe this movie is 9 years old! Sure, it won't be some peoples' cup of tea because there is a LOT of ballet dancing in it. And some of it is way too typical and a little boring, but overall, it was a decent watch and there was enough relationship stuff and mischief going on to keep you interested in these people and their lives and such.
I actually wouldn't mind owning this on DVD but it'd be the kind that I watch every few months or so. The cast is overall pretty attractive and the acting was alright.
Zoe (the black chick) seemed like she had a big chip on her shoulders throughout the movie though. It was kinda cute at first but after a while, it kinda wears on you.
3.8 stars.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Center Stage is a wonderful story
Added 3/21/2009
about a young, committed group of dancers who want to make it in the tough, painful, disciplined world of Ballet. The actors, many of whom are really ballet dancers playing a role, are wonderful. The film doesn't hide behind anything. The envy, jealousy,narcissism of wanting to be a star or being a star are explored in a thoughtful, compassionate manner. A great movie!
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Center Stage (Special Edition)
Added 2/27/2009
If you love dance, especially ballet, you will appreciate this movie that takes you through the struggles of 7 young dancers trying to live and dance their dreams. It comes easy for some and not so easy for others. It reminds me of (an updated version) "The Turning Point" which also takes place within the walls of ABC(T) in New York City.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Fast Footwork or Camera Tricks?
Added 10/12/2009
As a young adult my dream was to become a Ballerina, so when I saw this movie, I was transfixed to the screen. To see Julie Kent (Principal Dancer for ABT) play Kathleen Donahue added some credibility to the story. The story was a little weak, mostly about snippy personalities, eating disabilities, highschool drama type of fluff. But for a die hard like me, I did not care. I was watching for the love of dance! If you are like me, you will enjoy this movie too, however it will leave you wondering if it really delivers on the fancy footwork, or is it just camera tricks?
Still, all in all, I like this movie. And hope you do to. Ballet is one of the hardest and most rewarding artforms there is ... without Ballet, my life would have been dull. Enjoy.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
One for the Ages
Added 8/12/2009
I remember when this movie came out no one would go to see it with me, and I spent hours begging all my friends to come. The problem was that none of them wanted to see a movie with Peter Gallagher. I even advertised on line for a date, and got not one reply.
Well, I went to see it at the bargain matinee at the SONY Metreon here in San Francisco, and even on a small screen I was captivated. The story is filled with cliches, but they're my cliches! They're actually the cliches of every 20th Century Fox movie from the 1920s onward that focuses on three girls in the big city, from How to Marry a Millionaire through The Best of Everything and even Valley of the Dolls. Often, in this formula, there's a fourth girl who doesn't exactly fit in with the others in some way--really it's a three and a half girl movie formula. Like in Valley of the Dolls you have Helen Lawson. Often the fourth girl is more tragic than the others, attempts suicide or something. This happens in Where the Boys Are for example. Well, in CENTER STAGE the three girls are Jody, the blonde heroine; Eva, the black middle class girl who's always smoking a cigarette (my wife says that Zoe Saldana relies entirely on cigarettes to perform her idea of characterization) and Maureen, the perfect dancer who is the victim of an emotionally abusive stage mother (Debra Monk). The fourth girl, Emily, is too small a part really to count, but she's the chubby one.
The men are a mixed bag but Ethan Stiefel dances beautifully. He is no Baryshnikov in looks however, and that hairdo is a mistake gone wild! (Even Baryshnikov couldn't have carried off that haircut.) He's a good actor and has lots of sparks with Amanda Schull.
The whole movie belongs really to Donna Murphy, the Broadway diva who is playing the former ballerina Juliet here, the woman who develops a bond of quality assurance with Eva. They despise each other, admire each other, and finally, they come to love each other as surrogate mother and daughter. She gives CENTER STAGE whatever class it has, and you needed that one bit of seasoning to make the whole soup palatable.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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This movie is almost 4 stars.
Added 3/27/2009
It shows pretty well an array of rather common issues some females have (and have to deal with) from day to day:
Lust, Broken hearts, Bitterness, (an) Eating disorder and Cattiness.
Sounds like fun, eh?
Well it is! And I can't believe this movie is 9 years old! Sure, it won't be some peoples' cup of tea because there is a LOT of ballet dancing in it. And some of it is way too typical and a little boring, but overall, it was a decent watch and there was enough relationship stuff and mischief going on to keep you interested in these people and their lives and such.
I actually wouldn't mind owning this on DVD but it'd be the kind that I watch every few months or so. The cast is overall pretty attractive and the acting was alright.
Zoe (the black chick) seemed like she had a big chip on her shoulders throughout the movie though. It was kinda cute at first but after a while, it kinda wears on you.
3.8 stars.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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