Take a good dose of humor, a dash of drama, great dancing, vibrant music, fabulous costumes and a hint of weirdness, whisk it all together and the result is a thoroughly entertaining musical.

The less you know about ballroom dancing, I suspect, the more you might enjoy this movie. It is not really about dancing itself but rather how self-absorption and delusions of grandeur can lead artists down some very silly paths. Movies like Strictly Ballroom are akin to peering through a window into a world that we could never ordinarily fathom, and one that may or may not exist in a similar form in reality. If there is a king of the mockumentary it is Christopher Guest, and in Best in Show he did a similar thing by taking aim at the bizarre practices of dog shows and their owners, resulting in scenes that were both vicious and very funny. There are an endless number of competitive worlds that this same approach can be applied to: models (Zoolander), rock bands (Spinal Tap), athletes, equestrian, ballerinas, you name it. The opening of Strictly Ballroom is charged with the same energy and self-importance that these dancers radiate. Their gliding steps unfurl rhythmically in match cuts, and they make sure their costumes are adorned with as many sequins and shiny beads as possible, so that when the stage lights hit them they glitter like prancing, overdressed angels. Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie come together to construct a world that fashions itself like a grotesque child beauty pageant for adults, full of garishly fake tans, lurid red lips, oodles of drama, and overbearing parents living vicariously through their children. The godlike authority of the ballroom world is one man, never referred to as simply Barry, nor Fife, but always Barry Fife, and often with his full title of Federation President Barry Fife. These 'adults' are shot frequently from below and through wide-angle lenses, distorting their already monstrous features and exposing the leathery cracks in their hide-I mean err, skin. The introduction also makes delightful use of the mockumentary format to poke fun at the scandal of young prodigy Scott Hastings going off book, by not adhering to 'strictly ballroom' moves, but resorting to his own flashier, impromptu moves (at one point he even fits the worm in there). Luhrmann cuts to and from the controversy with great relish, allowing his talking heads to exaggerate, and their horrified reactions to build the drama. He pushes his dramatic zooms to their utmost invasiveness to highlight and underline the shock horror of a dancer who dares defy the code of the ballroom floor. When Scott later goes to 'apologise' to Liz for leading her into a world of darkness and temptation, he doesn't do it through words but through interpretive dance; the passive aggressiveness in their graceful one-two is terribly funny. The story is of course an over-ripe, over-done tale of redemption that we can all see coming a mile away. Scott has a vision and a dream, and with a dumpy, bespectacled amateur (who later turns out to be beautiful) he'll take it to the adults and dance the way he likes or die trying. Fran is so plain that she's been dancing with a girl all along, perhaps because along the way she was mistaken for a boy and was too shy to speak up about it. When an impassionate plea to courage and bravery reveals her Spanish roots, the pair retreat to the railroads to refine their moves with a cultural twist, and come morning, she's removed her glasses and they look like a completely different couple. Earnestness is what keeps the film going. Just look at how Liz storms into the room with tears in her eyes to proclaim that she's been dropped (dumped) by Ken, and therefore the end of the world is nearing. Or listen to Federation President Barry Fife anoint the Pan Pacific champions as immortal heroes, a "guiding light" to all other dancers. Nathan and Tina are no longer two individuals, but Nathan Sparkle and Tina Sparkle, one homogeneous ballroom unit, forever to be referred as such. Unlike some of his later, more audacious features, here Luhrmann knows how to keep his distance, because his dancers do all the flaunting and showboating for him. Such a film could never be made in America because Hollywood would turn it into a life-changing experience (Dirty Dancing, Flashdance). Now here are characters that think and dance as if they have leapt right off the Hollywood big screen, and who substitute the hills and skyline for a glittery Coca Cola billboard. They've brushed off their humble beginnings (the banners say Pan Pacific in big gold letters, but they all have Australian accents), and might never amount to anything higher than the fleeting glory of the ballroom floor, but for them it's more than enough. Few films are as openly honest about its intentions as Strictly Ballroom, and that is how you earn the right to use 'Love is in the Air' to close.

The plot follows a predictable line and some characters are stereotyped to the verge of spoof - a notion not half helped by the hilarious Ausssie accents. However the acting, editing and humor overcome this and turn it into a really great-fun-to-watch movie - and not just for dance lovers. This is an underrated movie with great romantic scenes alternating with tense moments and topped with a good climax. A better, non-repetitive and more imaginative soundtrack would have made it into a classic. Paul Mercurio's acting and dancing glue the movie together. Antonio Vargas adds weight to the cast and shows everyone what real dance is. Armonia Benedito as Fran's grandma is a real gem. Recommended.

Absolutely brilliant; by the writer and the director and the actors. Shirley Hastings is one of the most important and true characters in any Art form. She is to be studied by students in psychology, psychiatry, and social work. As is her husband. Unfortunately the theme is all too common. The future is the youth. To stifle them is so wrong on so many levels. Narcissism abounds. It is epidemic and crippling to happiness and creativity. The hen-pecked husband is all too common in marriages. His realization of this is awaited by the audience throughout the movie...Does he ever break-away from the narcissistic dominating wife? How does one do this and keep a marriage together? How does a son break away from a mother? From a father? From both?