The 2008 Festival opened with the US Premiere of
Razzle Dazzle, an Australian mockumentary that skewers the absurdities of the intense competition between kids on the youth dance troupe circuit—and the hyper-involved parents who live through them. A hilarious cross...
The 2008 Festival opened with the US Premiere of
Razzle Dazzle, an Australian mockumentary that skewers the absurdities of the intense competition between kids on the youth dance troupe circuit—and the hyper-involved parents who live through them. A hilarious cross between
Best in Show and
All That Jazz,
Razzle Dazzle mixes colorful characters, outrageous costumes, and show-stopping dance numbers (by John "Cha Cha" O'Connell who also choreographed
Enchanted,
Moulin Rouge and
Strictly Ballroom), to deliver an immensely enjoyable film that captures our hearts with equal parts comedy and pathos.
The film centers on Mr. Jonathon, an unconventional dance instructor who teaches his young "Jazzketeers" routines that try to illustrate world issues like animal cruelty, capitalist exploitation and global warming. Even with the help of star student Tenille, these experimental, unintentionally comical performances never manage to top rival Ms. Elizabeth's classical academy, whose dancers train to perfection under their instructor's snide remarks and ritual weigh-ins. But when a freak accident forces another team to forfeit, Mr. Jonathon's team gets the chance to head to the national finals—if they can get past the psychopathic stage moms, suffocation-inducing costumes an an occasional kidnapping...
Released: 2007
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