THE CUBAN

Academy award winner Louis Gossett Jr. expands his repertoire of exceptional performances in the role of Luis, an elderly Cuban musician who is brought out of his shell by his care worker, a young Afghan immigrant named Mina. Mina’s attempts to get through to Luis, even just to feed him, are futile. That is, until she discovers the music. A poster of Benny More inspires Mina to hum a jazz tune that, to her surprise, ignites a spark inside him. As each day passes the music awakens Luis more and more until the colorful world of his past becomes vibrant and real again. Mina comes into her own as she gets to know him and their friendship blossoms.

SHALL WE DANCE?

Directed by Peter Chelsom, this film is the English-language remake of Masayuki Suo’s 1995 romantic comedy of the same name; SHALL WE DANCE? revolves around John Clark (Richard Gere), a workaholic Chicago lawyer who, despite a respectable paycheck and loving family, is unable to shake the feeling that something in his life is missing. On a whim, John disrupts his normal evening commute to attend a dance class in hopes of meeting Paulina (Jennifer Lopez), a beautiful dance teacher he would occasionally spot gazing out of the studio windows. Though Paulina quickly lays to rest any preconceived romantic notions John may have had about her, she nonetheless forms a bond with him that goes beyond those normally held by a teacher and student. Invigorated with his new hobby, John focuses his newfound enthusiasm into training for an upcoming dance competition; however, he chooses not to let his wife (Susan Sarandon) in on his plans. Unaware that dance may be, in fact, saving her marriage, John’s wife becomes suspicious of all the time he spends away from home and hires a private investigator to find out whether or not her husband is having an affair. Ultimately, John is forced to examine how his old dreams fit in to his new life.