Shall We Dance?

This is one of my favorite movies in any language, and almost certainly my favorite foreign film. Shall We Dance? should not be confused with the American remake of the same name. I've never had the heart to see the remake because I love the story of the original and I don't think it would work as well in an American setting.

The plot of Shall We Dance? is relatively straightforward. A hard-working accountant is bored with his life and becomes fascinated by a beautiful young women he sees every night in the window of a dance studio. Despite the stigma of dancing in the conservative Japaneses culture, he begins to take secret lessons at the studio. Along the way he discovers a few other dancers-in-the-closet and a new passion in his life. The story is alternatingly sensitive and over the top, with some sublimely understated performances by the accountant (Kôji Yakusho) and the young dancer (Tamiyo Kusakari) and some outrageous moments by their fellow dancers. The result is a marvelous film.

You don't need to know anything about ballroom dancing to enjoy Shall We Dance?, but you might want to give it a try after you watch it.
∗∗∗∗