CINEMA                                               From the Desk of Laura Mezger

SHALL WE DANCE?

When pop culture historians look back at the celebrities who dazzled in the early 21st century it’s a good bet that J-Lo will loom large. But will she be remembered as a woman who entertained through the melodrama of her private life or because of her talents as an actress and chanteuse? Now that she has a new film out it’s a struggle at the centre of her life, as Laura Mezger found out when she went to meet her.  It’s been a bumpy few years for Jennifer Lopez. Her personal life is constant fodder for the tabloids and her last few films didn’t exactly inspire the critics. Now she’s starring alongside Richard Gere in the romantic comedy 'Shall We Dance?' - can this remake of a 1996 Japanese film bring some lustre back to Lopez’s checkered track record? Lopez kicked off her Hollywood career playing the title role in 'Selena', and she earned high marks for her crackling chemistry with George Clooney in 'Out of Sight'. But then there was 'The Cell' – a sci-fi thriller where Lopez’s outrageous outfits got more press than her performance. Two romantic comedies and two mediocre dramas later, critics still had faith Lopez could act if she was just given decent material. Sadly next up for J-Lo was 'Gigli'. The heavily hyped romantic comedy starring Lopez and her real-life lover Ben Affleck was called: "A grade-A misfire, fantastically uninvolving, a cinematic train wreck."

Q: "When you read reviews about films that you’ve done do you dismiss criticism, or do you try and take something away from it?"
Jennifer Lopez: "I haven’t read a film review of mine since 'Selena', and those were pretty good so I just figured I’d leave it at that. Selena' was a big role for me at a time in my life that really was a turning point, but I feel like there’s another big moment coming. I really do feel like it’s a new beginning and I’m excited about what lies ahead."  That new beginning isn’t a reference to her third trip down the aisle, this time with Marc Anthony. But it could be about her latest role playing a heartbroken dance instructor opposite Richard Gere’s bored businessman in 'Shall We Dance?'

It’s a return to her roots for Lopez, who prior to acting was a back-up dancer on the American TV series 'In Living Color'. I love dancing and I started off as a dancer, so anything that has dance in it is going to be fun for me and a plus." But her part in 'Shall We Dance?' is really a supporting role and it may not get Lopez back on track – a goal that some say is hampered by all the focus on her private life.
Q: "Do you ever worry about the media attention being in some way a liability to you and your acting career?"
Jennifer Lopez: "Absolutely, it’s very scary - the attention and weird fascination with your personal life, the media attention that it gets. It really takes the focus off why you’re in the public eye to begin with, which is the fact that you’re an actor and a musician and a dancer."