Shall We Dance?

Cute romance that is marred by homophobia.

It's rather cute, but only the truly girly will fall for the decidedly Officer And A Gentlemanly denouement that injects a belated sexy note.

Offers attractive, inoffensive characters and a smattering of broad laughs, but it fails to use its potential to explore weightier themes such as John's mid-life crisis.

Shall We Dance? stumbles into a tight corner between comedy and romance, failing to satisfy on either count.

Now, twenty-six years after his theatrical debut, Gere gives what just might be his most bewitching performance to date, enlivening a picture to heights it would not have achieved without him.

Under the clunky direction of Peter Chelsom, while forced to mouth inane dialogue by Audrey Wells ... a swell bunch of troupers get mangled in a monsoon of clichs.

A sunny, life-affirming celebration of simply hoofing it, any old how.

British director Peter Chelsom proves to be an inspired choice. Dressing the film with an eye-pleasing kitsch retro look and sprinkling the proceedings with moments of eccentric humor, he recalls his fine earlier films.

"Shall We Dance?'' celebrates marriage, self-renewal, the benefits of acting on impulse and the courage to dance to your own mambo beat. Audiences susceptible to its charms will be dancing down the aisles.

But there is nothing even deliciously bad or even fun bad in Shall We Dance, you won't find a moment of emotional truth, anywhere, nowhere, not in Richard Gere's twinkly demeanor, or in Susan Sarandon's googly eyeballs.