LOVES MUSIC… LOVES TO DANCE
US/Canada, 2002, 90 minutes, Colour.
Patsy Kensit, Cynthia Preston, Dean Mc Dermott, Yannick Bisson, Frank Pelegrino.
Directed by Mario Azzopardi.
Loves Music, Loves to Dance… is based on Mary Higgins Clark mystery. The filmed versions of her novels are easy-going, designed for a television audience. This is particularly the case here.
The film has a television setting, Patsy Kensit playing a producer who has encouraged her best friend to do a program on online dating. However, she was murdered. The police do their best, but Patsy Kensit insists on intervening, interviewing the men on the list of her friend, finding them sympathetic, weird, telling lies about themselves, violent… But she is charmed by one man on the list, a psychologist who is doing a project for his doctorate. Needless to say…
There is some satire on television programmes, especially the allegedly in-depth interviews on controversial issues.
On the whole, this is a slight but are entertaining murder mystery, forgotten after the final credits.
1. The popularity of the novels of Mary Higgins Clark, the television versions?
2. The American setting, the city, the world of television, apartments, restaurants, police precincts? Mansions? Popular settings?
3. The title, the focus on music, dance, the range of songs, melodies, lyrics? The title as a code for dating?
4. On-line dating, the types who put in advertisements, risks, descriptions, deceits, going to meetings? Positive and negative reactions? Consequences?
5. Patsy Kensit as Darcy, the TV producer, her associates, in the production box, the director? The talk show and Shona? The programs, the topics, her moods, the importance of the ratings? Shona and her capacity for hire and fire?
6. Darcy’s friend, from school days, the photo together? Her program, on dating, her client list, her death?
7. The introduction to the killer, the party, his victim, her rejection of his attentions, the motives? His not being seen? At home, the make-up, memories of the Phantom of the Opera, his dancing?
8. Her friend missing, Darcy and her going to the police, meeting the Detective, her pestering, their putting her off, concerned about her safety? Shona and her being upset, but prurient interest?
9. The detective, investigation, the list of clients, Darcy and her doing her detective work herself, the list, arranging the meetings, the variety of reactions, the man who was promoting himself above his status, the sympathetic psychologist and his project, the violent man and his pursuing her, the irony of the dangerous-looking man in the bars, actually a policeman and saving her? The sympathetic man but no future?
10. Darcy and Paul, sympathy, attraction, charming, going out, the meetings, his talk about his work on the project?
11. The detective, the various cases, going to the initial family, the mother upset, the brother, his type, his being a suspect? His arranging to meet Darcy?
Her being followed, his innocence?
12. Darcy’s assistant, disapproving, getting the information?
13. The police, warning Darcy, her going to her friend’s apartment, her being torn out of the photo, meeting Paul, taking her to his house, the drink, her friends ring on the floor? Paul and the make-up, wig, tuxedo, mad, his motives? The dancing, ready to kill Darcy? The police intervention? His death?
14. A satisfying Mary Higgins Clark mystery?
