Make it Happen (2008)

Make it Happen (2008) So many titles for one film! In Italian, Ballare per un sogno means: Dancing for a dream! The French have fun using English titles when the original title is already in English! It’s hilarious… but what a waste of time! For example, Make it Happen has stupidly become “Dancing Girls”! And it doesn’t even have Nik Kershaw’s song in it.

Anyway! I’ve read all sorts of reviews of this film. 1) I’ll start with the most negative one which says: “there’s nothing good about this film! Really bad!” I love this review, which makes me laugh, because it’s as bland as the film is good. In fact, I think exactly the opposite. And the quality of this review isn’t worth much, other than a rotten tomato!”

2. “A must-see dance film This film steals the show from Step Up. But it’s no match for Honey and Save the Last Dance. But it’s worth seeing. Mary Winstead in a perfect role….” This time, I’m a little more in agreement! I actually liked all those dance films… but for my money, this was my favourite. And finally
3. “Simply brilliant One of the best dance films I’ve ever seen.” There you go! There are still people I can agree with from time to time! In fact, I wasn’t bored for a second in this film. When it finished, I was expecting something more to happen. It’s well made, with great choreography, interesting music, great story and a lot of fun. I don’t really like the musical moments in Walt Disney films, I don’t love musicals or Bollywood. However, this film took me through all sorts of emotions. Tears, laughter, excitement, pleasure.

I’m a huge Mary Elizabeth Winstead fan, so it’s almost obvious that this is my favourite dance film. You can see that 25% of her character’s dance steps are not performed by her, because they are gestures that are even difficult for professional dancers. On the other hand, you can see that she has honed her technique for this role, that she has taken serious lessons and practised for hours.

But I really liked the cast too, especially Riley Smith, her boyfriend, Tessa Thompson, the waitress-dancer who gets her off the streets, and John Reardon, the garage-owning brother who has taken over his dead father’s business. It’s also a pleasure to catch up with Ashley Roberts, an actress, singer and dancer we don’t see much of, but in lots of places: she’s a leading member of the Pussycat Dolls, she’s played with Steven Seagal, but she was also born into music. Her father was a drummer with The Mamas & The Papas. This film encourages us to follow our dreams and not give up. Even if your family reproaches you for it, they’ll accept it in the end, especially if you find happiness, whether permanent or not. Isn’t the most important thing to be happy for a moment?