Review of White Nights (1985) by Mark S — 15 Jun 2013

Decent film about a man who fled his country, but by an accident on a plane he is on, is forced to land back in that country and he is promptly arrested and sent to live with an American man who defected during the Vietnam War and is being held as well. One man dances, the other taps...and I'm not really sure why they wanted them to dance in some show. Maybe it was explained, but it seemed quite silly.

The dancing is pretty great, for two dudes doing it, and Hines is really good at it and singing as well: something I never knew. But every time they break down in a dude dance, it reminded me of that hilarious Kevin Bacon dance in Footloose!!!

There's another side plot with a woman friend of the lead guy pleading for the Americans to help rescue her friend. There are two of them in particular, and they make they bumbling idiots for the most part. Glover is such a dummy in this. To be fair they make the Russians overly villainous.

Rossellini is quite good here in her first role, but Mirren seems so blah considering how awesome she can be in other films.

The song they play over the end credits, SAY YOU, SAY ME by Lionel Richie, won Best Song, but I still think there were at least six better songs that year.