Flashdance *** (1983, Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala) – Classic Movie Review 2030

Director Adrian Lyne’s quintessential 1983 musical drama Flashdance stars Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel worker welder by day and by night a flashy exotic dancer who wants to get into ballet school in this enjoyable if shallow 1980s rags-to-riches tale.

It is based on the life of construction worker, welder-turned-dancer Maureen Marder. The film’s success is a double whammy of story and music. Giorgio Moroder’s music won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score. The soundtrack was a sensation, selling 700,000 copies in its first two weeks of release.

Written by Thomas Hedley Jr (also story) and Basic Instinct’s Joe Eszterhas, the screenplay has a plotline that is a shade perfunctory – she argues with her boss and lover (Michael Nouri), then they kiss and make up. Indeed, they were nominated for a 1984 Razzie award for Worst Screenplay.

But the 15 musical numbers, including the Oscar-winning Best Song ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ (music by Giorgio Moroder; lyrics by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara) and the film’s other hit number, the Oscar-nominated song ‘Maniac’ (music and lyrics by its performer Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky), keep it powering along very nicely.

‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ is performed by Irene Cara, who also sang the title song for the similar 1980 film Fame. The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as a Golden Globe and numerous other awards. Other songs include ‘Lady, Lady, Lady’ performed by Joe Esposito, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Imagination’ performed by Laura Branigan, and ‘I’ll Be Here Where the Heart Is’ performed by Kim Carnes.

With the help of Donald Peterman’s Oscar nominated cinematography, Lyne distracts the attention with his glitzy, eye-catching rock video-style direction. Beals is an attractive, appealing presence, giving a memorable performance. but she can’t do all the footwork and the obvious stunt dancing is impressively performed by uncredited French dancer Marine Jahan.

Alex’s leap through the air in the audition scene was done by gymnast Sharon Shapiro and the break-dancing was done by Crazy Legs. Jahan appeared in the music video for ‘Maniac’.

American singer and actress Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) co-wrote the song ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Cara died in her Florida home of an undisclosed cause, aged 63.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2030

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