Best movie of this year hands down!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

In 1974 Broadway director and choreographer Michael Bennett sat down with a group of dancers and interviewed them in intimate detail about their lives, careers and aspirations. The transcripts of that 12-hour session became the basis for Bennett's extravagant new musical A Chorus Line which explored the passions, dedication, determination and personal stories of dancers keen to tread the boards on Broadway. The show scooped the pool at the 1976 Tony Awards, winning nine Tonys, went on to become a Broadway phenomenon and the longest running American musical in history. In 2006 Bennett's assistant director Bob Avian staged a revival. This superb fly on the wall documentary follows the gruelling casting process from the original call-out, through to the final selection. There are 17 roles to cast, and the producers are locked in to very specific casting choices because of the nature of the show and the characters. Ironically, art imitates life here as this documentary is about a group of dancers auditioning for a show about a group of actors auditioning for a role in a musical. Many do not make the cut, and those who are called back for further auditions are not guaranteed success. In an era when vapid reality TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Australian Idol, and their ilk, have made the auditioning process a forum for cruel put downs and the sarcastic wit of a panel of judges, Every Little Step is refreshingly upbeat, honest and positive. While we experience the elation of those dancers who are successful, we thankfully do not dwell too long on the tears and disappointments of those hopeful stars who, for one reason or another, are unsuccessful. In one extraordinary scene, Jason Tan's heart wrenching monologue for the key role of Paul, the drag queen, reduces theatre veteran Avian to tears. Co-directors James D Stern and Adam Del Deo have been granted unprecedented access to Bennett's original tape recordings, and this gives a deeper understanding about the show's genesis and what it is trying to do. The filmmakers, who have extensive experience in the theatre world themselves, juxtapose archival footage taken during the auditions for the original production with many of the hopefuls auditioning for this revival. There are fascinating and insightful interviews with Avian, as well as stars of the original production in Tony award winner Donna McKechnie, and the very demanding Baayork Lee, who played Connie and who is now choreographing the revival. An exhilarating insight into the world of musical theatre, Every Little Step is almost mandatory viewing for anyone with aspirations for pursuing a career on stage.

I share lor_'s dismay at the distortions and omissions in "Every Little Step". To ignore the contributions of James Kirkwood, Ed Kleban and all the actors in the original cast is appalling. McKechnie and Lee, the only two original cast members, have managed to turn "A Chorus Line" into a positive, but it took the other cast members years of negotiation and the threat of litigation to receive more than the pittance they received from their stories. As an aside, is any movie viewer so naive as to believe that Charlotte D'Amboise just happened to have the camera film her actual casting moment? We ain't that dumb. Disappointing on so many levels.

I agree with the other reviewers here that Every Little Step certainly left out key parts of history and gave short-shrift to extremely important people in the genesis and creation of the original Chorus Line. Such omissions also make me wonder if something similar was going on regarding the auditioning process for the 2006 revival..what else is being deliberately left out? // Those issues aside, and treating the film just as an enjoyable exposé, I thought ELS did a very good job of capturing the excitement and tension of the auditioning process -- I give special kudos to the editing department. I really liked watching the actors/actresses' performances being interspersed with incredulous looks on the faces of the casting staff.

A documentary on the revival of "A Chorus Line" on Broadway in 2006. It goes over the rehearsals and has interviews with the casting directors, the dance instructor and Donna McKechnie (going over the original production). It focuses on various performers and shows their auditions. At the end we find out who gets the job--or doesn't. There's also some very grainy b&w footage from the original show.I saw a "Chorus Line" on stage multiple times in the 1980s. I found the play funny, sad, touching and just brilliant. I haven't seen it in ages but I clearly remember all the songs and characters. This documentary only focuses on the characters who have songs. Nothing wrong with that but it gets repetitious. I don't think I can ever listen to "Dance Ten, Looks Three" or "At the Ballet" again--they're done virtually nonstop here! Also some of the scenes look very staged, the direction is clumsy and some people appear and disappear at an alarming rate. Still the interviews are fun and there are little facts dropped throughout the movie that some people might not know. The best acting done here is by Jason Tam. He doesn't sing but he has a monologue about coming out to his parents and breaks down crying (it's in the play). His acting in that was just perfect and more than a few people in my audience were crying along with him. That alone was a highlight. Worth seeing if you're a gay man or a lover of "A Chorus Line". Slightly recommended.