Shall We Dance?

Dir: Masauki Suo, 1995, Japan (8*)

One of my favorite Japanese films, about a commuter, Koji Yakusho, who nightly passes a dance studio and is increasingly attracted by a woman he sees there, so he goes in and signs up for lessons. He begins to love ballroom dancing, and this simply romance grows on you as you experience Koji's tranformation. This is a very subtle, very Asian film compared to a western one, but it's popularity and uniqueness led to an inferior remake here with Richard Gere.