In Ask Me to Dance, Jill is a graphic designer who spends her free time dancing at clubs. Jill is single, and looking for the right man, but so far, she’s not had any luck.
One night, on the way home from an evening out, Jill bumps into a mysterious woman who tells her that in five days’ time, before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, she will meet the love of her life. Within seconds of delivering this news to Jill, the mysterious woman then approaches single man, Jack, and utters the exact same words.
Jack is also a dancer, looking for love, and this potentially good news about his lacklustre love life fills him with hope. Jack believes a new girlfriend could be just around the corner, he simply needs to get out there and find her.
Over the next five days, Jill and Jack go on various dates with people who turn out to be unsuitable partners. All the while, they come very close to meeting each other, and potentially finding the soul mate they’ve been searching for this whole time.
But will Jill and Jack finally meet or are they destined to remain single forever? And even if they do meet, are they really right for each other?
Written, directed, and starring Tom Malloy, Ask Me to Dance is a low-budget romantic comedy, which is available to watch in the UK through digital download from February 13th. The film’s cast includes Briana Evigan, Juliane Arrieta, and Mario Cantone, and it is decent enough stuff, for those who like light rom-coms.
Now, while Ask Me to Dance is not an amazing movie, nor the most original romantic picture, the film does have its heart in the right place, and tries to make the most from its limited resources. This is a picture which has been put together on a shoestring, but it does include enough laughs to keep things going, and it’s not a bad film.
Ask Me to Dance moves along quite nicely, the story is perfectly serviceable, and it ticks off all the right requirements for a rom-com. Plus, all the cast appear to be pulling in the right direction to make everything work, and this helps paper over the cracks.
As Ask Me to Dance was made with limited funds, it is fair to say it is a little rough around the edges, and if you look hard enough there is at least one scene where you can spot a boom mic dropping into shot. However, move beyond the film’s financial restrictions, and ignore those rough edges and there are some fun moments to be had.
These moments demonstrate the potential in the picture and show that writer/director/star, Tom Malloy, does his best with the film. His script could easily have become the basis for a breezy J.Lo rom-com, or even an Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore vehicle, had more cash been pumped into the production, so there is definitely something here.
While I don’t expect Ask Me to Dance will win over everyone, the film has a good vibe, and zips along nicely. It also includes a decent balance of romance and comedy, is easy to watch, and features a great turn from Mario Cantone in the role of Jill’s gay best friend, Patrick.
All this is enough to get it over the line and for some that will be fine. Not award-winning stuff, but it’s OK.
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