Take The Lead (2006) Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story, Antonio Banderas stars as internationally acclaimed ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane in the family drama "Take the Lead". The film revolves around a professional dancer who volunteers to teach in the New York City public school system. But when his classic methods clash with his students' hip hop instincts, he teams up with them to create a new style of dance and becomes their mentor in the process.
Take The Lead (2006) Movie Review:
Coming home from a competition in New York, Pierre Dulaine (Banderas) meets wayward teenager Rock (Brown) and he makes a decision. The next day he goes to see Augustine James (Woodard), the principle of one of toughest high schools in the Bronx and offers his services as a volunteer teacher. She gives him the detention class that is filled with the self-proclaimed rejects of the school but instead of them learning anything to supplement their school studies, Pierre is going to teach them ballroom dancing.
Tales of inspirational teachers turning kids that society and the school system have given up on into winners are ten a dozen but ‘Take the Lead’ isn’t a sports movie.
Whether it be sports or ballroom dancing, the theme of an inspiring teaching turning around the lives of some troublesome high school kids is nothing new but ‘Take the Lead’ is slightly different. While the theme is identical to a sports movie, even with the competition at the end, it is the way the film approaches the characters that makes it all the more watchable.
Like most other films of this ilk, the main character from ‘Take the Lead’ is based upon the life of a real life person, in this case Pierre Dulaine. He introduced dance to elementary and high schools in New York as a way of instilling pride, respect and discipline back into public schools. As with sports versions of this type of story it again highlights the lack of motivational and inspirational figures working in the current educational institutions around the world. These teachers make that extra effort to push these kids a little further and change their lives forever. This is a common theme that continues to say that modern teachers lack drive and enthusiasm but they never really highlights why or show pressures and stresses of dealing with children from deprived areas.
Bringing Pierre Dulaine to life is multi-talented Antonio Banderas. While people remember him mostly for his action roles, he is a very gifted performer and actor. He excels in the dance sequences but also captures the inspirational nature of the ballroom teacher proving again that he is an extremely talented all round actor. It is the kids that Pierre Dulaine teaches that are the main focus of the film and highlight of the movie. Rob Brown as Rock, Yaya DaCosta as LaRhette, Dante Basco as Ramos, Marcus T. Paulk as Eddie and Jenna Dewan as Sasha shine as both actors and dancers but it is that ease that you connect with them and their situations that make the movie all the more watchable. These are talented young performers who will get themselves noticed because of this movie.
While the story maybe extremely familiar and slightly clichéd as the finale dances in, it is the strength of the performances and the development of the characters that make ‘Take the Lead’ a lot more watchable than it should have been. As an inspirational tale it succeeds and it will have you wishing that you could move as well as the characters on the screen.
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Take The Lead (2006) review written by: Jamie Kelwick
12th October, 2008 
