(Credit:Amazon.com)
Directed by
Nick Castle
Cast:
Gregory Hines …. Max Washington
Sammy Davis Jr. …. Little Mo
Suzzanne Douglass …. Amy Simms
Savion Glover …. Louis Simms
Terrence E. McNally …. Bob Wythe
Joe Morton …. Nicky
Dick Anthony Williams …. Francis
Bunny Briggs …. Bunny
Steve Condos …. Steve
Arthur Duncan …. Arthur
Pat Rico …. Pat
Howard ‘Sandman’ Sims …. Sandman
Jimmy Slyde …. Slim
Harold Nicholas …. Harold
One thing is abundantly clear while watching Tap; Gregory Hines was one hell of a performer. Not only was he a showstopper as a dancer, the man had some amazing acting chops, and Tap the man got to show off his prowess in both. Hines plays Max Washington, an ex-con who’s just gotten out of prison after a few years for armed robbery and just trying to get back on his feet. He’s out on parole and gets a crappy dishwashing job, and moves back to his old neighborhood where he grew up.
He lives across the street from a dancing school that was started by his father, Sonny. Max finds things haven’t changed much since he was put away as he explores the studios. The bottom floors are still occupied by dance classes. Director Nick Castle shoots these scenes in a loving way, bustling and busy. Amy (Suzzanne Douglass), the woman running the studio, is obviously a woman that Max has great affection for, but is wary of his return.
It’s at the top floor that where Max finds the building’s real treasure. Occupying the top is where he finds his father’s compatriots still live. Played by a group of tap dancing legends, including Sammy Davis Jr. as Little Mo, the troupe of men are amazing to watch. When Max doubts that their skills are still up to par, the men show off their skills in an amazing sequence, as each strut their stuff accordingly, and end up tearing the house down. This is a truly incredible scene, as each codger turns into a school boy, their feet moving as if they were teenagers.
At its heart, Tap is both a loving tribute to both Musicals and tap dancing as an art form. The film will seemingly stop all that’s going to light up the screen with furious feet and extended dance sequences, but the scenes never seem to out of place. This film is actually one of the best Musicals I’ve ever seen at trying to make the scenes look as if they legitimately should be there.
Where the film falters is its crime story. Shortly after he’s released Max’s former boss contacts him to get him to resume his duties as a jewel thief. The main struggle in the film is as internal one between Max’s love for dancing and Amy, and the possibly glamorous life of a jewel thief. Unfortunately, while the dancing portions of this film are gloriously lively, this crime portion falls a bit flat. Even Joe Morton’s Nicky is two dimensional as the film’s main villain, and never really comes to anything.
When the film is really on its game though, it’s brilliantly entertaining. Sammy Davis Jr. was probably never better than his Little Mo in this movie. He isn’t the larger than life personality he usually was on screen here, but instead a lonely old man, wanting desperately to dance, slowly dying away as his legs give out from under him. Dancing is his life, and as it dies, so does he.
Suzzanne Douglass is also excellent as Amy, Max’s long lost love. This was her first film, but you couldn’t tell from watching her on screen. There’s real hurt in her eyes when she sees Max for the first time, that slowly chips away under Hines’ charisma. Their relationship feels genuine and even magical at times when they’re on the dance floor and that’s all you could ask for in a film like this.
More than anything else, you gain a deep respect for dancers while watching this film. This was an art form that simply fell out of favor with popular culture and couldn’t recover. Now it seems as if there’s a stigma against dancing being too effeminate for it to be practiced more openly now and that’s a shame. Watching the love these men and women have for it here, it’s sad to think that the art may some day become too obscure to be remembered at all.
Score:7.5/10
The Video
The video for this is good, but not great. The print isn’t what I’d call crystal clear, which is too bad, because the rest of the disc is pretty nice. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1
The Audio
The audio on the disc is much better. Every tick, tock, and tap is heard in crystal clarity. The track is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Featurettes, Audio Commentaries, Trailers.
Tap: The Movie – As much as the movie itself is a tribute to tap dancing, this disc is a tribute to Gregory Hines. Everyone on these documentaries pour their heart out about the actor. Director Nick Castle gives much of the credit for the movie to Hines, who apparently helped write the film, as well as hand picked all the dancers within the movie. This runs about half an hour.
What Tap Is – This is a great look at the tap dancing art form and how it evolved over the years.
About Gregory – This is a heartfelt look at Hines from many of the people that worked with him, including his long time manager and others. Hines was a man who was loved by all and he is very missed.
Old Timers – This features Bunny Briggs and other dancers that worked on the film and how they came into tap dancing in the first place. These guys can still move and their love for tap dancing can be felt in everything they say.
Commentary with Director Nick Castle – This is a very detailed commentary about the development of the film and keeps pouring on the Gregory Hines love throughout.
Trailers – Being a Sony disc, you once again don’t get the trailer for the movie you’re actually watching.
Score: 8/10
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for Tap | |
