The distance between Troy and Dirty Dancing

Although there is absolutely no music in my heart and I cannot dance to save my life, I still enjoy watching musicals – especially those with a lot of dancing. Faced with a stack of VCDs and DVDs of recent Hollywood blockbuster movies and old musicals, I would go for Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and even Esther Williams and her back-up aqua belles.

Of course, I also enjoyed watching Jennifer Beals in Flashdance and Jennifer Grey, Patick Swayze and Cynthia Rhodes in Dirty Dancing, a dance movie that overflowed with a lot of energy.

When Dirty Dancing 2 (Havana Nights) was therefore exhibited last week in Metro Manila theaters, I immediately made time to watch it to see how it compares with the first edition of Dirty Dancing.

It turned out that Dirty Dancing 2 has no connection at all with the original Dirty Dancing – except for the fact that a much older Patrick Swayze is in Dirty Dancing 2 doing a brief role as a dance instructor.

While the first Dirty Dancing is set in the early ’60s, Dirty Dancing 2 brings us back to 1959 – in the Cuban capital of Havana.

Here we see American teenager Katey Miller (played by Romola Garai) moving with her family from St. Louis to Havana and absorbing the Cuban culture, particularly its dances. It is here where she meets Javier Suarez (Diego Luna, seen earlier in Y Tu Mama Tambien) who waits on tables, but in his leisure time does what he does best: dancing.

But he takes on a third activity –consort with Katey and this is a no-no because hotel workers are not supposed to be on chummy-chummy terms with guests. He loses his job and Katey – to make up for what happened – encourages Javier to join her in a dance contest that offers big prize money.

During practice, Javier teaches Katey to throw away her inhibitions and in the process learn to move sensually – sensual I supposed by 1959 standards.

I have to admit that I got excited watching the early scenes of Dirty Dancing 2 because 1) It is a period film and I like going back in time and 2) There is history in the story of the movie.

Dirty Dancing 2 is actually set in the dying days of Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorial rule and on the eve of Fidel Castro’s takeover.

Somehow you feel the political tension amidst the rhythmic Cuban dancing and I thought this was a nice, clever contrast.

Visually, the film is quite interesting because you see period Cuban pieces juxtaposed with late 1950s American fashion. The production design – with the help of the photography – really makes everything look authentic and true to the time frame of the story.

Ironically, it is in the dancing scenes where this movie fails. Diego Luna and Romola Garai just do not have chemistry between them– especially on the dance floor and this is quite tragic because this is primarily a dance movie.

The trouble with the two lead stars is that they are such anemic performers. In the beginning, I thought this was just part of the young female lead’s characterization. But in the scenes where her sensuality is supposed to have been awakened, she still looks and acts pallid.

And unlike in the original Dirty Dancing, which burst with exuberance and energy – and where the dancing can be quite "dirty" – putting the word "Dirty" in the title of Dirty Dancing 2 can be quite a misnomer. Maybe in 1959, the kind of dancing exhibited by the lead stars may be labeled dirty. But in today’s scheme of things, that’s a kiddie party.

Overall, Dirty Dancing 2 isn’t really such a bad movie. But it can get pretty boring – particularly the dancing parts.

Trust me, the dance sequences in this dance movie are so dull they make history lessons deliriously exciting.

From films with history, we go to films culled from literature.

Still drawing in large audiences (here and in the US where it has grossed $46.8 million so far) is the sword and sandals epic Troy.

Actually, you really don’t need to be well versed with The Iliad to enjoy watching Troy. (Troy’s ancient name was Ilium and Iliad means "about Ilium.") However, it would help if you still remember this epic poem attributed to Homer from your literature lessons in school – particularly the names of Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus and particularly Achilles and his heel.

But if all these names sound Greek to you (and Greek they really are), don’t worry. You will still enjoy watching this $200-million spectacle.

To begin with, the story has been simplified in a way that the gods and goddesses like Apollo, Juno, Minerva, Venus, Mars, etc. who play partisan in The Iliad are not given any participation at all in Troy. In the movie, they are just mute statues desecrated by Achilles and his men.

The selling factor of Troy is really the mammoth battle scenes – some of which are downright bloody, but not necessarily that offensive to the viewer’s sensibilities.

And there’s great acting in this movie, too – no, not necessarily from Brad Pitt who plays Achilles and his attitude but from Peter O’Toole, who is cast as Priam, King of Troy.

Troy is a must-see movie and it may even entice you to go back to reading your Iliad, but this time relishing in your mind those spectacular battle scenes in this expensive film.