Valentina’s Tango

You don’t often encounter a “dance thriller,” but this tidy pickup by MTI combines elements of the increasingly popular dance genre (the Step Up series, How She Move) with low-key crime plot points that heighten the drama. Instead of a dance competition, Valentina’s Tango follows a tango dance club owned by Eduardo (Jordi Caballero from TV’s Dancing With the Stars) that draws the interest of a mobster. Eduardo’s sons (George Perez, Jack Rubio) are at odds over selling the place, and they’re also in competition for the lovely Tina (Dianna Miranda). When tragedy strikes, their mother (Guillermina Quiroga) descends into madness. It’s a steamy soap opera with plenty of sexy dancing, which leads to plenty of sex.

Shelf Talk: Better-than-average production values and a gorgeous cast of recognizable Hispanic TV actors overcome the occasionally stifling melodrama, making this an easy one to market to dance movie fans. Also note that co-star Quiroga, who also choreographed, is one of Argentina’s most successful tango stars and helped popularize the dance around the world with Broadway’s Forever Tango. Look for targeted advertising in dance magazines and Web sites and on MTI’s Web spaces (MySpace and YouTube). The fast-growing Hispanic audience will appreciate this heavy Latin flavor.