Err, ummm. About That.
Ok, I just saw a movie that I really enjoyed. Perhaps it was the music, perhaps it was the storyline, perhaps it was the good ol' feel good ending. I don't know what it was about this movie, but I enjoyed it. Because frankly, I don't think I should have.
First of all, it was called Bootmen. Never heard of it? Good reason for that, I saw it on the Independent Film Channel. Interesting finds on that channel, actually. Every now and then I get to see Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels which I think is right up there with Reservoir Dogs in the "Well! What happened?!?" category. But I digress.
Actually Bootmen was about a young Australian man named Sean who works at a steel mill with his dad and brother while all the while he dreams of following his passion for Tap Dancing. That's right, a steel worker dreams of Tap Dancing. Of course his dad does not want him to do this and his brother wants to forget tap dancing (I don't know why I capatilized the last two incarnations of these words. I apologize.) and worry more on stealing cars and selling the parts. He eventually gets killed for this while tap dancing by a rival car thief gang. There's a moral in there somewhere.
But, it wasn't all about steel and tapping. There were some fight scenes because the brother would not give up his car part distribution center. Minor little skirmishes lead to a car chase leads to a big climactic fight at the end where the Sean's brother gets killed (like I said above. I just want to make it clear Sean's brother dies in this movie). It's like the Jets vs. Sharks, except with Tappers vs. Stealers.
And did I mention the love interest? There is this pretty blonde who is in love with Sean. She then sleeps with his brother. Whoops! Finds out later she is pregnant with Sean's brother's baby. So long sister, they don't want anything to do with you. Well, actually the brother dies in the climactic battle, so I can't say he doesn't want anything to do with the baby, but you could see it in his eyes. You knew he was gonna stay around for a couple of months and then one day take the next bus to whatever city is the biggest in Australia and no one would hear from him again until the baby became rich and famous and he was looking to get a cut of the action. But I digress seriously this time. There's no way to tell, he's dead and that's all that matters. But Sean still doesn't want anything to do with the baby. Somehow, they both end up on a beach after the funeral and this is where he tells her. I just would have told her at the cemetary, no need to go all the way out to the beach. That's pointless. A waste of time I tell you.
But, the real problem comes when Sean's steel mill is going to close. Lots of steel workers who don't know how to do anything but make steel are going to be out of jobs. Sean thinks he can help by putting on a performance in the steel mill in order to raise money for the workers. At least he is thinking outside the box. Gets everything set up by a troupe of tap dancers; practice, practice, practice. Funny thing is, they don't ever show you doing what they practice. If they had half the stuff they practiced in the final dance thinger then it would have been sweeeeet. But they didn't. And I'm still miffed about that.
But, amazingly, the best part of the movie is the end. During the tap dance. All the lights and the music and the tappity tappity tap of the shoes. It is rather quite well done. Sounds a little like stomp but with a live band. Seriously, a live band. They needed exposure too and were willing to do it for free. So they let them play. But then, then came the lights. All the lights had to be brought in to give the right effect. That cost money, and money doesn't grow on trees. Or can it be made in steel mills. But they made a lot of money to cover those expenses and start a training center for the laid off steel workers. And I won't tell you how it ends with Sean and the dad and the girl and the baby and the brother's ghost. So you'll have to watch the ending yourself.
And I do recommend this movie, just don't start tapping afterwards. That might look a little wierd.
First of all, it was called Bootmen. Never heard of it? Good reason for that, I saw it on the Independent Film Channel. Interesting finds on that channel, actually. Every now and then I get to see Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels which I think is right up there with Reservoir Dogs in the "Well! What happened?!?" category. But I digress.
Actually Bootmen was about a young Australian man named Sean who works at a steel mill with his dad and brother while all the while he dreams of following his passion for Tap Dancing. That's right, a steel worker dreams of Tap Dancing. Of course his dad does not want him to do this and his brother wants to forget tap dancing (I don't know why I capatilized the last two incarnations of these words. I apologize.) and worry more on stealing cars and selling the parts. He eventually gets killed for this while tap dancing by a rival car thief gang. There's a moral in there somewhere.
But, it wasn't all about steel and tapping. There were some fight scenes because the brother would not give up his car part distribution center. Minor little skirmishes lead to a car chase leads to a big climactic fight at the end where the Sean's brother gets killed (like I said above. I just want to make it clear Sean's brother dies in this movie). It's like the Jets vs. Sharks, except with Tappers vs. Stealers.
And did I mention the love interest? There is this pretty blonde who is in love with Sean. She then sleeps with his brother. Whoops! Finds out later she is pregnant with Sean's brother's baby. So long sister, they don't want anything to do with you. Well, actually the brother dies in the climactic battle, so I can't say he doesn't want anything to do with the baby, but you could see it in his eyes. You knew he was gonna stay around for a couple of months and then one day take the next bus to whatever city is the biggest in Australia and no one would hear from him again until the baby became rich and famous and he was looking to get a cut of the action. But I digress seriously this time. There's no way to tell, he's dead and that's all that matters. But Sean still doesn't want anything to do with the baby. Somehow, they both end up on a beach after the funeral and this is where he tells her. I just would have told her at the cemetary, no need to go all the way out to the beach. That's pointless. A waste of time I tell you.
But, the real problem comes when Sean's steel mill is going to close. Lots of steel workers who don't know how to do anything but make steel are going to be out of jobs. Sean thinks he can help by putting on a performance in the steel mill in order to raise money for the workers. At least he is thinking outside the box. Gets everything set up by a troupe of tap dancers; practice, practice, practice. Funny thing is, they don't ever show you doing what they practice. If they had half the stuff they practiced in the final dance thinger then it would have been sweeeeet. But they didn't. And I'm still miffed about that.
But, amazingly, the best part of the movie is the end. During the tap dance. All the lights and the music and the tappity tappity tap of the shoes. It is rather quite well done. Sounds a little like stomp but with a live band. Seriously, a live band. They needed exposure too and were willing to do it for free. So they let them play. But then, then came the lights. All the lights had to be brought in to give the right effect. That cost money, and money doesn't grow on trees. Or can it be made in steel mills. But they made a lot of money to cover those expenses and start a training center for the laid off steel workers. And I won't tell you how it ends with Sean and the dad and the girl and the baby and the brother's ghost. So you'll have to watch the ending yourself.
And I do recommend this movie, just don't start tapping afterwards. That might look a little wierd.
posted by Timchula at 20:48
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