"CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH" // SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2022

BY MATEO MORENO

Following up on the success of his debut feature Shithouse, Cooper Raiff's latest film CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH is one of the (if not THE) buzziest film at this year's Sundance Film Festival. And much like his first film, it has an easy charm to it, but this one seems to show that he can aim at a broader audience without losing any of his swagger. Raiff plays Andrew, a 22-year-old man who's girlfriend heads to Barcelona and he heads back home to live with his family. His mother (Leslie Mann) is a caring and loving parent who Andrew and his younger brother David (Evan Assante) get along with very well. They seem to think her new husband Greg (Brad Garrett) is a bit of a tool, but they put up with him because he's good to their mother. Andrew is a bit lost at sea, unsure of how to get a hold of his life going forward. He takes a fast food job that he doesn't particularly like, sleeps on the floor of David's room and his Mother and Stepfather drive him around. He's not exactly killing it.

That is, until Andrew takes his brother David to a bar mitzvah and notices that nearly everyone looks like they want to poke their own eyes out. The music is terrible and no one is enjoying themselves at all. So Andrew takes it upon himself to make it better. Suddenly, everyone is having a blast and the mothers all around him notice, offering him the job of "party starter" at all of their upcoming bar mitzvah's. Andrew sees a great opportunity. He's great with kids, loves to not do much for work, and loves to have a good time. So this job is a perfect fit. At that first party, he also sees a mother named Domino (Dakota Johnson) attending with her 12-year-old autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). He's immediately attracted to Domino but he also is drawn to help them. He sees the loneliness that seems to surround the two of them and immediately goes to introduce himself and asks Lola if she would like to dance. Though she says no, she's also flattered that he shows her attention and eventually gets her up to dance, something that her mother has been trying to do. Domino is smitten by Andrew, and he by her. And though there are red flags of this younger man, older mother relationship, the ease and great chemistry between them takes over and we give in.

Raiff's real strengths in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH are how easy everything seems to flow. Instead of having characters run around the conflict, as so often they do in films like this, his seems to head into them straight on, making it quite a refreshing change of pace. The dialogue is smooth and inspired and Raiff himself proves to be quite engaging and charming. His chemistry with Dakota Johnson is striking and sweet and she gives a gorgeous performance that's filled with a loving grace. Johnson's chemistry with her daughter is beautifully played and Vanessa Burghardt herself gives a lovely performance. Also in strong turns are Leslie Mann, Evan Assante and Brad Garrett as his loving family. Raiff and Assante also have a fun charm in their relationship that never feels forced.

Another great touch in Raiff's film is how he handles topics like his Bipolar mother or Lola's autism. His characters are fully formed people and their diagnosis is never stronger than themselves. Thankfully, Raiff also has cast an autistic actress in Burghardt to play an autistic character. This is miles away from the thud of a certain Sia film and it's clear that Raiff is interested in an authentic and soulful character, never zany or overtly quirky. It's exciting to see an exciting new voice, and Cooper Raiff is one to watch. Even if you can't quite spit out the titles of his films without a slight pause, you certainly won't forget him once he's laid out his story.

GRADE: A

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Cooper Raiff STARRING Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann. SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH