"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

BAD MOVIE? GUILTY PLEASURE? BOTH? // A FILM REVIEW OF "50 SHADES OF GREY"

BY CHRISENA RICCI

I admit it. I saw 50 SHADES OF GREY this past weekend. Feminist groups call Christian Grey ‘abusive’. Christian groups call the film ‘pornographic’. And my mother simply referred to it as ‘the film that shall not be named’. I think it’s simply a bad film, with a lot of hype.

After guiltily reading all three of the 50 shades books on my Nook, I was curious as to how well it would adapt into anything suitable for a movie theatre. When I heard the soundtrack I was actually excited to see the flick. That was my main problem right there, I allowed myself to get my hopes up that a mediocre book series could be in anyway improved by a screen adaptation. One of my main problems with the books was that everything moved too slowly. Too much time gets wasted on repetitive self- doubt. Most of the time, I really miss the inner dialogue of the main character when it transitions from book to film. Not this time. For some unknown reason, the monotonous turmoil of Miss Anastasia Steele is all kept intact. They don’t even finish the first film in line with the ending of the first book. When the credits started rolling, I joined in the chorus of “What? Is that IT?” that was being shouted from around me. It was excruciatingly slow, and even at a glacial pace, it still somehow managed to end abruptly.

Now for some of the uncomfortable things that the film felt was necessary. There was a lot of body hair. Like, A LOT. Now I’m all for everyone grooming to whatever extent they wish, but this was, overwhelming. In the first steamy scene, it is apparent that Ana doesn’t shave her legs, ever. I went to a women’s college, and I am all about women doing what makes them happy with their leg hair. Braid it for all I care. However, in the books, Ana is not portrayed as the hairy feminist, or the lazy-with-a-razor  kind of lady. She’s just a regular kind of a girl. She may be a virgin, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t shave her legs. And by unshaved legs, I’m talking multiple inches long, highlighted by being captured in a shadowy silhouette. The audience’s involuntary and collective “ew” was actually laughable.

I spent most of my time laughing through this movie. The script was ridiculous and the “explicit sex” scenes were embarrassing for all the wrong reasons. I did really like the music selections that were playing throughout the entire film, and I thought the costumes were pretty fantastic. Although, it is pretty hard to mess up a soundtrack featuring an exclusive Beyoncé track and wardrobe made up mainly of nudity and gray neckties.

The addition of Ana’s parents was a surprising and welcome addition to the film. In the books, Ana is basically an orphan who has a pretty crappy "brother" in Jose and "sister" in Kate. It makes her situation with Christian seem more isolating and creepy. But in the film, Ana has a good relationship with her mother, whom she goes to visit. She is supported and loved without Christian, and I really appreciated that change. I also like that Ana is portrayed as both strong and intelligent when negotiating the Sub/Dom contract. The film does a good job of giving her a little bit more back bone and making her a lot more likeable than in the books.

I’m sure I will gladly see the second movie. I really did enjoy the chemistry between Ana and Christian, and I think the actors did a good job with an atrocious script. I found this film entertaining. It didn’t expand my mind, or provoke any interesting thoughts. But I had fun. I treated myself to a shameless amount of Jamie Dornan’s abs and movie theatre popcorn. It was the perfect girl’s night out.

CHRISENA'S GRADE: D-

Directed By Sam Taylor-Johnson Screenplay By Kelly Marcel Based on the novel by E.L. James Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes and Marcia Gay Harden

FINAL THOUGHTS: It isn’t a good movie, but I sure had fun watching it.

CHRISENA RICCI once went to a costume party dressed in an all black dress and black wig. No one there could guess who she was. So she shouted out, "I'm Christina Ricci, without the T or I and add an E!" Everyone stood there confused, she was annoyed, so she stormed off. She never returned to that apartment ever again. Which is fine, because she later realized she was at the wrong party. She now lives in New York City.