Issue date: 10/14/04 Section: Arts

"Shall We Dance," a remake of the 1996 Japanese movie with the same title, was a delightful surprise.

Richard Gere turns in a great performance as John Clarke, a dejected, overworked and just plain sad accountant.

We see him going through the motions. He rides the subway home from work, eats dinner with his family and barely cracks a smile. Then one night while riding the subway, he looks up into the window of a dance studio.

In the moonlight looking sad and tragic is none other than Jennifer Lopez.

Naturally, Gere is captivated and looks forward to this little glimpse of her every night.

One night on a whim he gets out of the train and goes to the dance studio. He planned only to watch, but instead ends up taking lessons at the suggestion of Paulina (Jennifer Lopez).

Along with three other men, Gere learns how to ballroom dance by an amusing Anita Gillette as Miss Mitzi.

Every now and then, we get a quick look at Paulina practicing, but nothing more.

Susan Sarandon in the meantime is Gere's wife, Beverly Clarke. She doesn't have any big moments or dramatic scenes, but manages to prove she is still one of the best actresses today.

She is the typical wife noticing her unhappy husband, but not knowing what to do about it.

Lopez once again proves her acting ability (we all saw her monumental performance in "Selena") as the dance instructor Paulina.

She is at first very reserved and even aloof. Still she mesmerizes the audience when she dances. Gere quite clearly is mesmerized as well.

As the movie progresses we see Gere start to change.

Before we know it he is practicing dancing in the men's bathroom at work with a co-worker (Stanley Tucci) and is entered in a dance competition. The most startling change that Sarandon notices too is Gere appears happy. Sarandon thinks it might be an affair.

Through a private investigator she learns it is not a woman, but dance lessons her husband is hiding.

Continued...

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