Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageHula Girls (2006)
Director: Lee Sang-Il
Synopsis
Sort of a Japanese Dirty Dancing meets The Full Monty, this crowd-pleasing period piece—set during the Polynesian craze of the mid-’60s—has the residents of a dying coal town pinning their hopes on a new theme park and its swaying grass skirts.
Movie review
From Time Out New York
Loretta Lynn sure never imagined Japanese coal miners’ daughters hula-hooping their way out of poverty, but that’s just how a group of desperate women gave meaning to their dead-end lives in 1965. This mawkish docudrama revisits the dying industrial town of Iwaki, which counters the looming threat of a mine closing with plans for a Hawaiian-themed resort. The girls face prejudice from their families, while their amateur moves frustrate the dance instructor. Will they ever triumph? Just guess.Author: Stephen Garrett
Time Out New York Issue 615: July 12–18, 2007
Cast & crew
Director: Lee Sang-Il
Cast: Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Yu Aoi
Duration: 110 mins
UK Release: Jul 13 2007
Top Stories
Ridley Scott interview
Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback
Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report
Dave Calhoun reports on the hits, misses and a shocking new masterpiece from Michael Haneke
What do you think?
Post your review now