Flashdance

By VARIETY STAFF

PolyGram/Paramount. Director Adrian Lyne; Producer Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer; Screenplay Tom Hedley, Joe Eszterhas; Camera Don Peterman; Editor Bud Smith, Walt Mulconery; Music Giorgio Moroder; Art Director Charles Rosen
 
Jennifer Beals
Michael Nouri
Lilia Skala
Sunny Johnson
Kyle T. Heffner
Belinda Bauer
 

Watching Flashdance is pretty much like looking at MTV for 96 minutes. Virtually plotless, exceedingly thin on characterization and sociologically laughable, pic at least lives up to its title by offering an anthology of extraordinarily flashy dance numbers.

Appealing newcomer Jennifer Beals plays an 18-year-old come to Pittsburgh to toil in a steel mill by day and work off steam at night by performing wild, improvised dances in a local bar (much of Beals' dancing was reportedly done by an uncredited double [Marine Jahan]).

What story there is [by Tom Hedley] sees Beals trying to get up the courage to audition for formal dance study and dealing with the advances of her daytime boss Michael Nouri who, to her fury, secretly intervenes to get her admitted to the school.

Female performances all come off as if the sole directorial command was, 'All right, girls, let's get physical!' Pic features better bodies and more crotch shots than Personal Best, and every effect is of the most vulgar and obvious variety.

1983: Best Original Song ('Flashdance . . . What a Feeling')

Nominations: Best Cinematography, Editing, Original Song ('Maniac')

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1983. Running time: 96 MIN.