Strictly Ballroom & Blow Dry

The Commonwealth Comedies...

I've decided to take a moment to draw your attention, good reader, to a self-designated genre of movie. I am calling it: the Commonwealth Comedy. You're probably familiar with this sort of flick; they may even be listed amongst your favorites. This humourous film generally centers on a somewhat odd, yet real, scenario and introduces its audience to an eccentric group of heroes and villains. Most importantly, these movies tend to originate from Great Britain or one of their many remaining commonwealths. Thus, the Commonwealth Comedy. Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week, please try the veal!

In this review, I will be focusing on two of my personal favorites: Strictly Ballroom and Blow Dry.

Baz Luhrmann's pre-Moulin Rouge tale, Strictly Ballroom, takes us behind the scenes of Australia's ballroom dancing subculture. I discovered this movie thanks to another cinematic staple of my young life: Swing Kids. Ballroom’s trailer was at the beginning of my VHS tape which I viewed no less than 1500 times. On a whim, when I was visiting from college, my Mom rented this Aussie flick for us to watch. I was absolutely floored. Luhrmann's knack for using color and movement to accentuate the musicality of his films is always astounding and magnificently reminiscent of the old Hollywood musicals. Add to that, the characters' manic obsession with ballroom dancing and attaining that one all-important goal, being Pan Pacific Grand Prix Champions, and you've got a hilarious and uplifting story that never fails to impress. Well, never fails to impress me anyway! This vastly under-appreciated film definitely deserves a viewing. I’m sure that there are some of you who may not have enjoyed Moulin Rouge (how that’s possible is beyond me!) but I implore you to give Strictly Ballroom a chance…because, to quote the movie: “Vivir con miedo, es como vivir a medias.” A life lived in fear, is a life half-lived.

I shan't lie. I did not watch Blow Dry because of good reviews. I did not watch Blow Dry because its trailer looked intriguing. I did not even watch Blow Dry because I knew what it was about. No, I watched Blow Dry because Josh Hartnett was in it. Shameful, I know, but I cannot and will not deny the fact that he's pretty. I’ve seen a number of movies in my day and I am ecstatic to say that Blow Dry is definitely not your typical eye-candy movie. In this little English gem, we meet a peculiar group of elegantly coiffeured hair-styling competitors who are competing for the annual British Hairdressing Championship. An all-star cast including Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Bill Nighy, Rachel Griffiths and Heidi Klum joins Harnett in this endearing little comedy. Harnett proves that he’s not just a talent-less pretty face. He manages to impress even the harshest “accent critics” (namely me), by holding his Yorkshire accent quite convincingly throughout the film. However, it’s the film’s characters and the absurdity of glorifying the use of outlandish quantities of hairspray, glitter and hair accessories they use that makes it a truly splendid thing to watch. Stylish and silly. Charming and captivating. I loved this movie.

Now, I beg of you your wisdom. Do you know other movies that would fit into this genre? “Cheesy” little flicks from the land that gave us tea and scones or kangaroos and Steve Irwin. Please, comment and impart your knowledge on the masses.