a rare movie review

... and by rare i mean it's not all smart-assy. So I just finished watching Mad Hot Ballroom and I'm still dabbing the tears from my eyes. OMG, I loved it. I can't recommend it enough.

You know, I've discovered I'm a real sucker for these documentaries about kids engaged in school competitions. For example, Spellbound... The movie is brilliant. It's got more suspense, intrigue and drama than most works of fiction. I was even able to identify villains in the film. I honestly hated some of those kids. I actually clapped when they spelled the word wrong. Um, I may have even yelled, "Take a seat, asshole!" and "Quit stalling! Admit you don't know it and sit down!" But the memory, she is fuzzy so I can't say for sure if such things came out of my mouth. I mean, it's very out of character for me to be so callous and impatient...

But Mad Hot Ballroom is structured a bit differently. It allows for multiple feel-good stories. I picked a favorite early on (namely Wilson from P.S. 115 -- LOVE HIM) but mostly, I was able to spread my support out over several different competing schools.

Now you may find this hard to believe but, well, I'm a bit of curmudgeon. I'll wait a few seconds for the smelling salts to kick in... Anyhoo, despite my sometimes grouchy demeanor, I smiled my way through this entire film. Well, except towards the end. That's when the crying started. I couldn't help it! The expressions on the parents' faces and their comments while they watched their children compete got me right here. I was, how you say, a puddle.

My favorite part of the documentary is the interviews interspersed between the dancing segments. The kids opine on a variety of subjects -- the opposite sex, drugs in their neighborhood, even gay marriage (briefly). While they're no more than 11-years-old, some of the kids have highly-evolved takes on these issues. Other kids really show their age but their opinions are no less refreshing and enlightening. If you haven't seen the film and plan on doing so, look out for the interviews nestled within the end credits. They are priceless.

Mad Hot Ballroom is available on DVD and Movies On Demand (on Time Warner Cable, at least). Watch it! And Spellbound too!