Driven to Dance

source: Driven to Dance

Firstly, the dancer is stunning. I wasn't sure if they were using a body double for the dance scenes as no one can be that good looking and that talented - surely? But no, it seems like she acts and she dances. And her acting is OK. She's pretty flat but that's her character, a slightly sulky dance-obsessed teenager. Also, the little brother is a great actor - he should go far and seems to be overlooked in all the reviews. As for the movie, there were lots of strands that didn't quite add up, many of which have been called out by other reviews. Why was the mum so convinced that her daughter would never make the grade to go pro? We needed to see how her own dreams had been crushed as a kid to make her so brutally realistic. And why would the mum agree to go to a sleazy pick-up joint after work with her colleagues? If this is where they always go wouldn't they have warned her? And what is with the two dancers who look at each other all the time? And why doesn't the math tutor make a move? A kiss followed by him leaving HER to follow HIS dream would have been more surprising rather than 'hey, good for you, I'm off too'. As for everything else, I get that dad has left, mum has never had to work, dad bought the daughter's car and paid for the upmarket lifestyle and that his departure has left mum in pieces. And I get that two Bs is not the end of the world but it's realistic - not everything has to be a drama.The anorexia thing is possibly realistic too - films don't have a responsibility to show the world as it should be, this one shows it perhaps more as it is. The director obviously coerced a mate to provide songs for the entire soundtrack - no doubt for budgetary reasons but a bit more variety / subtlety might have worked. Throughout, I couldn't help thinking that, if this film had been made in France in the late eighties /early nineties and had starred Emmanuelle Béart, it would have been considered art house and would have been much better received. The pace and minimal plot felt very French. Still, the director not only got this made, she got Netflix to buy it. Kudos!

Loved Juliet Doherty in High Strung 2 and enjoyed seeing her in a different role. The script, score and coherence of the movie is though very limited. The story had potential and there are many interesting aspects but it didn't quite come together.

I am familiar with the Arizona Master Dance academy. They turn out beautiful dancers. I would have like to have seen more dancing. I do not like the story. Ballet dancers mums and dads would be supportive of their children. The other review spoke of anorexia... Truth in that ...but I guess writer was trying to get the carrot thing in ... Truth is San Francisco Ballet would never hire an anorexic dancer. No company would. Good effort to show a bit of something... Next time show class training in real order for people to get what athlete's we are... plies to tendus etc. To Grands batement, to doing things right demonstrating our hard work.

I enjoy good films about dance. The fact that this one includes Juliet Doherty convinced me to watch it. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. Though the main character, Paige (Doherty), has a passion for dance, the real focus of the film is the conflict between Paige and her mother, Lynda (Kaitlyn Black). Paige's parents are separated and on the verge of divorce. Lynda is a bitter woman who takes her frustrations out on her children, especially Paige. Lynda's behavior is abusive, and others see that, but can do little to intervene. Paige's dance instructor does what he can and, eventually, makes a positive impact. Doherty's dancing is the best part of the film, but the entire film feels incomplete and the ending is abrupt. See "High Strung Free Dance" for a better representation of Doherty's talents.

I really like dance but this film has way too much bad acting and not enough dancing to compensate!

I'm a sucker for the Lifetime movie type, but this one just falls flat. The fault is completely in the script. I could take some less than stellar acting (and there is plenty of that). I'm okay with low budget filming. I could even tolerate the repetitive soundtrack and the fact that most of the songs aren't even a match for what was going on in the movie. (Did they just buy the rights to one album and play the entire thing for background music?) What I can't forgive is the utter lack of character development, the lack of an actual, sensible plot and the way that it was just all magically resolved in the last few minutes in a way that would never happen in real life. Shame on whoever wrote this screenplay. Their mother should have told them to be realistic about their career goals and they should have listened to her.

First off I've never felt compelled to write a review before. This movie was so far beneath the worst movie I had seen up to this point that I felt I must. I am a dancer and dance teacher and the only redeeming quality of this movie was that they used real and beautiful dancers. Acting skills were sacrificed to do so. That might be forgivable. The real torture lay in the script, lackluster characters, poor plot development and appalling audio issues. The music was too loud, too repetitive, and overwhelming and often times drowned out the characters' speaking. Actors were poorly miked and were difficult to hear. Had there been more dancing throughout the movie I might have felt suffering through was somehow worth it but there was very little dancing to be had. I can say this: I will never be quite as critical of all the versions of Step Up because compared to this, they're compelling cinematographic artistry.

Those of you rating this on script, acting, story or some other meaningless attribute have missed the whole point. This film is just one of the countless Hollywood has put out that shows beautiful, nubile young white girls being comforted, mentored and snuggled by someone from the south instead of a Russian or Eastern European ballet coach. Because everyone knows guys from Alabama make the best ballet coaches and the best people for that matter. Of course all the non-minority males are annoying and pathetic just to complete the picture. So you are wondering why all those girls don't want you anymore? They have been well schooled by Hollywood producers and directors who want every film to paint you as weak, sniveling fools and the so-called "oppressed" as the best doctors, lawyers, leaders, family men and ballet coaches.

This movie glorifies eating disorders. The main character in fact never really eats during the movie and claims to eat only carrots and *yes* instead of passing out cold receives a contract. At the end of the film I thought she was finally going to eat, but she picks up a muffin and just puts it down in a classic disordered eating fashion. It's possible the the movie writers were just this clueless and didn't care about the triggering nature of the film or in glorifying eating disorders to young dancers, but that's just highly irresponsible behavior. Oh, and while the young dancer is beautiful, the acting is really wooden.