When I first heard that the major problem critics had with Adrian Lyne's Flashdance was that it was essentially a string of music videos, I couldn't help but feel a bit...confused. After all, couldn't you basically summarize classic Hollywood studio musicals that way? But then I watched the film and I understood: it's not that it's a bunch of music videos per say, but that it's a bunch of music videos in a movie that is convinced that it's a sober drama. Classic Hollywood studio musicals existed in their own bizarre universe where people could (and would) burst out into song and dance to express their emotions. But Flashdance positions its phantasmagorical dance numbers in a gritty universe of blue collar desperation, strip clubs, drug abuse, and death. These dance numbers are outstanding in their choreography, music, and cinematography. But they don't mix with the rest of the film. It doesn't help that a good chunk of the second act is surrendered to an insufferable romantic subplot. Maybe it would have worked better if the two leads had better chemistry.
5/10
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