At first, Harry Potter's star Emma Watson arguably stands out among the cast. She plays with different type of genre, which is fantasy as she used to play in Harry Potter or Beauty and The Beast. However, as the film progresses, all the cast begins to blend nicely one another, creating a complete narrative of Ballet Shoes as a whole. The visual of the film is enchanting enough, for although Ballet Shoes is set on the Great Depression, the scenes take place on lovely settings: a ballet studio, a theater, a small wood and clearing, a screening of film. The scene of this film also illustrates the situation in London during 20th century with vintage costumes, house, car and even the make-up itself. It may not be the most pleasing film for senses, but it is appealing enough with its British qualities presented through the characters' costumes, for example.
The problem with Ballet Shoes is that it feels uneventful. Rather than engaging its readers to watch the film due to, for example, an unresolved tension, it sweeps the readers in one path and lets them engages themselves with the film. The climax of the film, which we suppose fell on the scene where Pauline decides to go to Hollywood so that Posy can afford ballet training to Czechoslovakia is not as dramatic as a climax scene should have been; it is even less dramatic than that one scene where Petrova realizes Granie has inflammation with her lungs and Pauline breaks down because she cannot support Granie enough as she has been fired from her role in theater. It is as if Ballet Shoes leaves the choice to the readers, whether to engage themselves or not in the film, and does not invest or make enough effort to keep the audience in their seats. This is why the film feels dull in several parts.
And to be quite honest, if it were not for the characters' alluring British accent, Ballet Shoes could be even worse. Moreover, the title is also quite misleading. Attention is distributed quite evenly among the three main characters (Pauline, Petrova, and Posy), with occasional emphasis on Pauline's story, although the title is "Ballet Shoes" and Posy's story is supposedly the one at the center for she is the one with passion for ballet. However, Ballet Shoes indeed offers some interesting premises.
The core of the plot, in which three young girls become relatives by incident and in doing so help each other to reach their dreams despite their individual and collective struggles, is heart-warming. How the characters play their parts to build what Ballet Shoes film is all about. With the slogan in the layout "Dreams do Come True" they really are pursuing their dream, not only the main characters but Sylvia Brown itself who wants her children to get a better living. Petrova is not useful here as she found out that Sylvia got sick, and rely on this to Pauline, as the main source of money.
Despite of all the things happened in the story; I really like parts of how they help each other as sisterhood, I like how they strengthen each other when they are down. The characters themselves are intriguing: Emma Watson as Pauline, pretty and determined she is yet she can be very self-absorbed, she becomes arrogant as she wanted to take her drama, and how she acts that people there should appreciate her. The picture of Hermoine is not again in her character here. Petrova, who is deemed Miss Plain Jane compared to the other two girls, is selfless, empathetic, and visionary with her dreams. It seems like her parts here is not catching audience's eyes. She likes something with machine and close to the garage owner who is later marries Sylvia, since Petrova shares her mind and match her hobbies, it takes audience's guessing that at first the garage owner and Petrova would have feelings to each other. Petrova is also not useful here as she found out that Sylvia got sick, and rely on this to Pauline, as the main source of money. Meanwhile Posy, although exceptional with her talents, has a problem in managing her ambition and whims. She has main figure as ballerina with her mother's shoes for she wishes that it will lead her to her mother. Thus, she does whatever it takes to reach them. She is not sad because her teacher got stroke, but she is sad because she stops ballet.
Let us not forget Sylvia, too, who is as loving as she is selfless. Pauline, Petrova, and Posy grow up without their parents, but we argue that Sylvia has played the role of their parents better than the three girls could ever ask for. Another saving grace for Ballet Shoes is its music score; in a way, we feel that the merry tunes fit childhood in London very well.
Thus, in a nutshell, Ballet Shoes regrettably has not been handled very well, especially in regards to the story's deliverance. As the film comes to an end, it feels like "is that all?" because the film ends in which situation is not accomplished yet, they do not make the movie as end hanging, but one of the character here has its end hanging, for example someone who likes the garage car – a dance teacher, she ended up finding a man in her past, but we do not know how, why, and where this guy comes from, just all of sudden. As the audience, we would beg more about this film. However, the film is still a charming film and it probably suits for children above 10 to watch.
The problem with Ballet Shoes is that it feels uneventful. Rather than engaging its readers to watch the film due to, for example, an unresolved tension, it sweeps the readers in one path and lets them engages themselves with the film. The climax of the film, which we suppose fell on the scene where Pauline decides to go to Hollywood so that Posy can afford ballet training to Czechoslovakia is not as dramatic as a climax scene should have been; it is even less dramatic than that one scene where Petrova realizes Granie has inflammation with her lungs and Pauline breaks down because she cannot support Granie enough as she has been fired from her role in theater. It is as if Ballet Shoes leaves the choice to the readers, whether to engage themselves or not in the film, and does not invest or make enough effort to keep the audience in their seats. This is why the film feels dull in several parts.
And to be quite honest, if it were not for the characters' alluring British accent, Ballet Shoes could be even worse. Moreover, the title is also quite misleading. Attention is distributed quite evenly among the three main characters (Pauline, Petrova, and Posy), with occasional emphasis on Pauline's story, although the title is "Ballet Shoes" and Posy's story is supposedly the one at the center for she is the one with passion for ballet. However, Ballet Shoes indeed offers some interesting premises.
The core of the plot, in which three young girls become relatives by incident and in doing so help each other to reach their dreams despite their individual and collective struggles, is heart-warming. How the characters play their parts to build what Ballet Shoes film is all about. With the slogan in the layout "Dreams do Come True" they really are pursuing their dream, not only the main characters but Sylvia Brown itself who wants her children to get a better living. Petrova is not useful here as she found out that Sylvia got sick, and rely on this to Pauline, as the main source of money.
Despite of all the things happened in the story; I really like parts of how they help each other as sisterhood, I like how they strengthen each other when they are down. The characters themselves are intriguing: Emma Watson as Pauline, pretty and determined she is yet she can be very self-absorbed, she becomes arrogant as she wanted to take her drama, and how she acts that people there should appreciate her. The picture of Hermoine is not again in her character here. Petrova, who is deemed Miss Plain Jane compared to the other two girls, is selfless, empathetic, and visionary with her dreams. It seems like her parts here is not catching audience's eyes. She likes something with machine and close to the garage owner who is later marries Sylvia, since Petrova shares her mind and match her hobbies, it takes audience's guessing that at first the garage owner and Petrova would have feelings to each other. Petrova is also not useful here as she found out that Sylvia got sick, and rely on this to Pauline, as the main source of money. Meanwhile Posy, although exceptional with her talents, has a problem in managing her ambition and whims. She has main figure as ballerina with her mother's shoes for she wishes that it will lead her to her mother. Thus, she does whatever it takes to reach them. She is not sad because her teacher got stroke, but she is sad because she stops ballet.
Let us not forget Sylvia, too, who is as loving as she is selfless. Pauline, Petrova, and Posy grow up without their parents, but we argue that Sylvia has played the role of their parents better than the three girls could ever ask for. Another saving grace for Ballet Shoes is its music score; in a way, we feel that the merry tunes fit childhood in London very well.
Thus, in a nutshell, Ballet Shoes regrettably has not been handled very well, especially in regards to the story's deliverance. As the film comes to an end, it feels like "is that all?" because the film ends in which situation is not accomplished yet, they do not make the movie as end hanging, but one of the character here has its end hanging, for example someone who likes the garage car – a dance teacher, she ended up finding a man in her past, but we do not know how, why, and where this guy comes from, just all of sudden. As the audience, we would beg more about this film. However, the film is still a charming film and it probably suits for children above 10 to watch.