Shall We Dance: Fred and Ginger in a loop of nonsense

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s musical fluff, yes. If you need a plot that holds up to even a tiny bit of logic, skip it and watch The Extra Girl instead. It’s perfect for people who like watching pros work, but it’ll probably bore anyone who demands a fast pace.

The plot is basically an excuse for things to happen.

Honestly, the whole 'fake marriage' angle feels like it was written on the back of a napkin during lunch. Nobody acts like a normal human being, but I don't think that’s the point here. It's just a delivery system for those long, sweeping dance numbers.

There’s this moment in the middle where Fred Astaire is just doing his thing, and you can tell he’s completely in his own world. I caught myself wondering if he ever actually walked like a regular person or if he just glided everywhere he went. He makes it look way too easy, which is kind of annoying if you think about how hard that stuff must actually be.

The chemistry between them? It’s there, obviously. But sometimes it feels like they’re dancing more with the music than with each other. It’s professional, cold, and brilliant all at once. There’s a scene involving a ship that goes on for about five minutes too long, and I found myself staring at the background extras just to see if anyone would trip.

• The tap dancing is, obviously, the best part.
• The dialogue sounds like it was spat out by a very polite machine.
• I’m still confused about how they actually got on the boat.
• The lighting makes everyone look like they’re made of wax.

Don't look for deep meaning here. It’s just people in fancy clothes being incredibly talented and slightly ridiculous. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a movie, you know? It doesn't have to change your life. It just has to keep you from checking your phone for a couple of hours.

I liked it, but I’ll probably forget the plot by tomorrow morning. That's fine by me. 💃🎩