One of the most effective truisms to show up in an underdog triumph film comes at the tail end of Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile. B-Rabbit (Eminem) having won a crucial rap battle, celebrates briefly and then grabs his clothes and goes to work – he understands that his hardscrabble existence won’t be uplifted entirely by his talent. It’s a smart ending that is seemingly avoided by many films in the genre – especially dance films, the population of which exploded after You Got Served landed impressive box office ($48 mil worldwide) given its absolute critical pounding. Now that we’ve seen (or hopefully avoided) the likes of Dance Movie, it’s clear that the tropes are familiar to one and all – including the makers of Go For It!, who manage to spin something watchable out of boilerplate material.
Enter Carmen (Aimee Garcia), a tough on the outside dancer whose passion for her art is all-consuming. She’s smart, resourceful and frustrated, with her mother pressuring her to give it up and the pressures of schoolwork and a job. Add into the mix carefree best friend Gina (Gina Rodriguez), her abusive boyfriend, as well as Carmen’s relationship with a Jared (Derrick Denicola), a white boy whose parents don’t take kindly to his pursuing a Mexican girl. Let’s not forget Carmen’s suspension from school for punching out a snotty white girl, and Mr. Martin (Al Bandiero), a teacher who cares enough to push Carmen to sign up for dance school. The film is full of B-plots, as any movie with very little character development tends to be, but the dance sequences are eye-catching and Garcia’s Carmen has enough spirit to be an engaging main character.
If you know what to expect from a dance film, this will be a mostly satisfying 90 minutes, filled with dramatic confessions, tense moments and a fair amount of choreographed dancing. Go For It! impresses by filling its main cast with actors who are committed to their performances and looking not too shabby for a film that seemingly came out of nowhere. Hispanic audiences may appreciate that the film identifies clearly with Carmen’s roots and depicts her family as more than ethnic stereotypes. A recommended rental (or sleepless night Instant Play selection), Go For It! is a pleasant surprise despite its gathering up of well-worn and tired clichés.
DVD Bonus Features
A commentary with writer/director Carmen Marron and several Lionsgate trailers.
"Go for It!" is on sale September 27, 2011 and is rated . Dance, Drama. Written and directed by Carmen Marron . Starring Aimee Garcia, Louie Alegria.
