I danced so much, like a crazy person

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Movies of 2020...

#26 : And Then We Danced (და ჩვენ ვიცეკვეთ)

Intense, winning romance about two male performers who spark a secret relationship in the ultra-conservative world of traditional Georgian dance.

Never heard of the film but I was expecting it to be a massive struggle to get through - "the ultra-conservative world of traditional Georgian dance" just isn't a phrase to get my pulse racing, I'm afraid.  Oh well - it's only 100 mins of my life I'm not getting back (unless I play the double speed card).

And two minutes in, we've had some traditional Georgian dance and we've been introduced to the two male performers who, unless I'm very much mistaken, will be sparking a secret relationship pretty soon.  Followed by a quick interlude to show he has a troubled home life (almost compulsory in such films) and then back for some more dancing.  And then a scene to make it clear that two guys having sex is VERY MUCH NOT OK in this ultra-conservative world - just in case you were in any doubt.  And then some more scenes as to what a terrible life he has, and then some more dancing.  Time for the double speed card to be played methinks...

And actually, the double speed card is a bit harsh because there is a reasonable amount that happens between the dancing - the plot rumbles along at quite a pace.  And I suspect you won't be massively surprised to hear that it does include our two main characters having sex at some point but it's a surprisingly small component of the overall film.  It's still VERY MUCH NOT OK though (in the ultra-conservative world of traditional Georgian dance, I hasten to add).  I'd say the film manages to end well - both nicely tying some things up and having some characters grow, but leaving other things nicely open ended.

One quibble I have is how often the characters coincidentally bump into each other given they live in Tbilisi which has a population of over a million.  I would also say there's far too much dancing in it for the casual observer - although the dance moves and the contortions involved are impressive (whilst still managing to be completely pointless).  At times it feels like an advert for the Georgian dance ensemble, whilst at the same time telling you what a shit life they all have - so I'm not entirely sure what the overall aim is.  Having said that, I did like the Georgian singing - they're really trying to get you into the whole culture scene.  Unfortunately, Wikipedia tells us that another part of Georgian culture is protesting against films featuring same-sex relationships - apparently the film "popularises the sin of sodomy" and the police had to be called to the premiere and other screenings because of the protests.

This is (I think) the fourth "even without seeing Brokeback Mountain, i'd have seen that plot development a mile off" film I've reviewed - it has to be said it's not my favourite of the bunch (that's probably God's Own Country), but it is different from all the others in that it considers the consequences and the future more (although to be fair this is also undertaken in Carol to some extent).  I'd have to say the acting is actually pretty good - whilst the film didn't exactly grab me, at no point did I think they weren't doing their best to sell it to me and they come across as generally believable (whilst recognising that I have no idea what life in Georgia is actually like).  I'd say it's well shot as well - there's some nice camera work, particularly in the wedding which seems to be held in the world's largest apartment.

So would I recommend this film?  It's a "not quite" from me - it just dragged a bit too much in places.  However, there are interesting bits and I'd have to say it wasn't nearly as dreadful as I feared - which is something I guess, if not exactly a wholehearted recommendation.  If you're interested in the ultra-conservative world of traditional Georgian dance, then it might be right up your street - but I think we have to accept this is a somewhat niche interest, so it might not be exactly what you're looking for.  But it's done well enough and is nowhere close to being the worst film on the list so far, so for that I'm thankful.

I spent AGES trying to track this film down, but at the time of writing, it's available to watch on All4 - so if you want to watch it, I'd get your skates on.

#27 - A watchable and enjoyable film - about time too.
#25 - An extremely peculiar film