Dance Movie: Innocent Steps

Moon Geun-Young, star of the hit romantic comedy My Little Bride, takes the lead role in Innocent Steps, a charming, although not wholly satisfying romantic comedy from director Park Young-Hun. The teen idol plays Jang Chae-Rin, an ethnic Korean living in China, who finds herself to be a complete fish out of water after being transplanted abroad to South Korea. When her sister bows out of a dummy marriage to a champion dance instructor, Chae-Rin decides to travel to Seoul herself and impersonate her sister. Once in South Korea, she meets Na Young-Sae (Park Geon-Hyeong), who has agreed to the sham marriage for the sole purpose of locating a new dance partner. It seems he's looking to replace the one he lost to his rival, the dastardly Jeong Hyeon-Su (Yoon Chan). But when Chae-Rin's secret and her lack of dancing experience is revealed, Young-Sae wants to send his new bride back. Eventually, however, he has second thoughts and decides that his only hope is to train this wide-eyed novice himself. –Of course, the practices start off as purely professional, but as Chae-Rin begins to dedicate herself to the art of dancing, a connection between the newlyweds begins to take shape. Chae-Rin's youthful exuberance and folksy way of speaking eventually charms Young-Sae's hardened heart. There's even an amusing subplot about two immigration officers seeking to expose the couple's secret, while eventually rooting for the two to stay together.

Here is a Nutshell Review: Innocents Steps that would provide a better idea of what the movie is about.

This review was gotten from HERE

Na Young-sae was once touted as the best dance trainer in Korea, and was in contention for another trophy during the national dance competition, until dirty underhand tactics by rivals ruined it all for him. Seeking a comeback, his manager and him hatched a plan to import a foreign talent from China, Jang Chae-rin, to partner with him and reclaim his spot at the top.

Alas, Chae-rin turns out to be the inexperienced teenage sister of the real mccoy, and Young-sae goes into a frenzy as the championships is only 3 months away. Reluctantly, and realizing the lack of time, Young-sae has no choice but to make do with what he has, and put his training skills to the test in turning a rookie into a professional ballroom dancer.

The storyline sounds familiar, like Dirty Dancing's, exploring the situational device of having a teacher and his protégé go through their lives together experiencing new found relationships through the language of dance. They start off awkwardly, and most of the time the plot focuses on the rigorous training in which Young-sae puts Chae-rin through. There is an unnecessary subplot though, of the marriage investigators who probe into the fake marriage between Young-sae and Chae-rin (that's the rouse used to get her to Korea), just to add to some laughs.

Dance has always been associated with passion, feelings and love. This movie doesn't stray from these themes, and the main leads heat up the screen with their sensual dance moves, albeit too little screen time. Just when you thought it's time for them to take on the championships and arch-rivals, the plot takes a twist, which I thought was probably an attempt to avoid being predictable.

Ladies might want to prepare your hankies for the emotional scene towards the end, where Young-sae and Chae-rin declares their love for each other indirectly at the marriage bureau. Extremely touching that, especially when you think back on their attempts to fabricate a fictional story on their relationship, which has taken on for real.

It is of course helpful that the two leads are eye candy. Park Keon-hyeong as Young-sae seemed to have the easier role of the mentor, snarling most of the time with a diva-ish, yet tender attitude towards his protégé. Mun Guen-yeong has the tougher role to flesh, transforming herself from simple naive girl into chic professional dancer, with a heart pining for Young-sae. The chemistry between the two is superb, and their dances together once they got their groove right, just magical.

Which of course brings me to my main gripe - I want more! But the attempt to make the story unconventional turned my request down, although the end credits featured a clip of them dancing, serving as some kind of compensation for the lack of dancing screen time. It's not the partner, but the partnership that mattered, said Young-sae. It rocked, and left me wanting more! Some might find it "been-there-done-that", but I recommend this for those who which to get jiggy with it on the dance floor. I found myself tapping to the soundtrack as we get whirled around the ballroom, and I'm sure ballroom dance lovers, or romantics at heart, will do the same too.

For those of you who are interested to watch it, someone has been kind enough to upload the ENTIRE movie onto YouTube.
Enjoy.

Innocent Steps:
* The links will open the video page instead of the video.
Part 1
An accident at the competition. A new beginning? A new partner?
Dance Scene: Samba Competition (00:16 - 02:55)
Quotable Quotes:
NYS: It's not the partner but the partnership that counts.

Part 2
A new marriage? The wrong girl?

Part 3
Reconciliation. Keeping the Marriage look legitimate?

Part 4
Learning to dance.

Part 5
Remembering the past. Why do you dance?
Dance Scene:
Tango Practice (05:38 - 06:20)
Rhumba Practice 1 (07:23 - 07:54)
Quotable Quotes
NYS: Why do you dance? To settle debts? You're dancing to pay that off?
NYS: What's the music for? If it's on, you should move with the rhythm. You think you're dancing alone? You have no emotions! Drop it if you're gonna be like this.
JCR: Mista. I haven't danced with such emotions before. I just danced trusting your lead. I breathed where you told me to breathed. And stopped where you told me to stop.
JCR: I know I'm not good enough. So I practice hard everyday to be as good as you. The rhythm that you talk about, I don't know what that is. Can't you just teach me instead, mista?
JCR: Yuo can do everything well. So can't you just teach me?
NYS: Do you love me?
(JCR gives a blank look)
NYS: You love me? People who aren't in love don't entrust each other with their hearts. There is no trust so they don't entrust each other with their bodies, too.
NYS: You really want to dance? I don't care if it's a lie. When you're dancing, love me. I will love you also.
The rest ... (NYS brings JCR's hand to his heart) is up to here ...
NYS: And ... ... feel the rhythm inside me.

Part 6
Dancing with emotions? Dancing in love? Taking the wedding picture? How did we meet? What is the Grand Allegro?
Dance Scene:*Samba Practice 2(00:00 - 01:25)

Part 7
The beginning of dancing? Registration for the competition? The betrayal?
Dance Scene:*Samba Practice 3(02:59 - 03:25)

Part 8
The breakup? A new partner for Chae-ryn? Chae-ryn's birthday.
Dance Scene:*Samba Practice 4(04:51 - 05:47)

Part 9
The dance competition.
Dance Scene:
Chachacha Competition (01:21 - 02:23)
Rhumba Competition (04:04 - 06:00)
Samba Competition (06:14 - 08:16)

Part 10
The police interview. Chae-ryn doing home?

Part 11
The end of a great movie?
Dance Scene:
Varied dances (07:04 - 08:22)

Who's who?
NYS - Na Young-sae
JCR - Jang Chae-Ryn

* Disclaimer: Those who the * for the dance scenes are just guesses on what dance they are. If anyone could help me verify the correct one, I will change it.