STREET DANCE

UK, 2010, 98 minutes, Colour.
Nicola Burley, Charlotte Rampling, George Winslow, Eleanor Bron.
Directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini.

Anything you can do, I can do better (sang Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun). These aren't the lyrics for Street Dance but they could well be the sentiments of the makers as they have looked at the many street dancing competition films from the US in recent years (Step Up, How She Move...) and decided that with all the Britain's Got Talent types and all the TV competition programs, the UK could do Street Dance better than the Americans – and in 3D!

It's all exactly predictable, but that is the formula the audience will enjoy.

Two crews are rivals. Leader walks out of a crew and joins the other, leaving his girlfriend and letting her pick up the pieces to prepare in a short time for the finals – which would lead to a trip to the US. He does. She does. They do.

However, there is one big difference (apart from all the aerial postcard scenes of London) and that is Charlotte Rampling. She might be one of the last serious actresses who would agree to appear in this kind of film. But, she does and she really looks as if she is enjoying it. She is a ballet instructor and feels that her students lack oomph and passion. When the street dancer delivers her lunch and sees the rehearsal space, the two come to an agreement that the two groups should work together – but, at first there is snobbery and reverse snobbery.

In these films, there is always a clash with times, the ballet auditions and the finals of the street dancing competition programmed at the same time. I wonder what they do and who wins!!

1. The popularity of street dancing films? Age for the audience? Dance and styles? The street? The contrast with ballet? Combination?

2. The American models for this kind of film, a UK version? Cast, characters, situations? Looking towards the US? The use of the 3D process?

3. The London aerial shots? The streets? The ballet school?

4. The musical score, the range of popular songs, the use of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev ballets?

5. The formula and its variations, predictable but enjoyable?

6. The credits, the different groups, the dance styles? Performance? The nature of street dance, movement, physical, the background of rap music?

7. The introduction to the group, information about each of the characters, naming them? Jay as the hero, his motivations, leaving, saying he wanted to go to the university, time for himself? Carly meeting him? Resuming their relationship? The discovery that he had moved to the rival group? The nasty aspects of his character, watching at the end – and his being beaten?

8. Carly in herself, the reaction of the others, their not wanting to stay with her, thinking she could not be successful? The pessimism? Jay as the hero of the group? Carly and her friend, support? At work, delivering the food? Her friendship with Eddie, Fred?

9. The group and the personalities, their skills? The variety of backgrounds, racial? London as a melting pot?

10. Carly and delivering the food, the meeting with Helena, the need for rehearsal space, seeing the vast rooms at the ballet school? The ballet, the snobbery? Discussions with Helena, the deal about the room? Dancing in the mall, their being moved on? Losing the money?

11. The two different groups, moving away from each other? The street dancers breaking the wall? Being introduced to an alien world? Helena and the money issues, her hold over Carly? The snobbery and the reverse snobbery?

12. Helena’s plan, Harding and his questions, Madame and her teaching, her studets? The noise? The build-up for the auditions for the Royal Ballet?

13. Helena, her character, motivations, passion for dancing, thinking her students lacked passion, taking Carly to the ballet, Carly enjoying it? Meeting Michael, Helena’s past achievements – and Michael being on the auditions board, Helena taking him to watch the street dance finals?

14. Carly and the ballet, Tomas, the arguments, their working together? Seemingly doomed to failure?

15. The ballet group, Tomas and his work, the tall girl and her embarrassment, Chloe and her snobbery? Mr Harding and the complaints, the parents, the money grants?

16. Their all going to the Notting Hill carnival, seeing the dance, change of heart?

17. Working together, the combination of ballet and street dance, Tomas and his skills, his falling in love with Carly?

18. The audition problem, the clash of times? The tension, the group thinking that the ballet students wouldn’t come? The delay, their arrival?

19. The surge, their performance, skilful, the applause?

20. Eddie, his character, delivering the food, admiring the ballet, showing the steps, the group thinking he hadn’t the experience? His going on stage, performance, the applause?

21. The group, the white suits, the performance, the audience initial reaction, street music and ballet, the achievement? Their winning?