“DANCING THROUGH LIFE” // A FILM REVIEW OF “RHYTHM IS A DANCER”
BY MATEO MORENO
RHYTHM IS A DANCER follows Ro Williams (Lauren Caster), a talented dancer who has been struggling for years in NYC. Every audition is a bust and the latest, an ad for a cream to help yeast infections, doesn’t go the way she wanted it to either. Even her day job at a dance studio is a bust, as she is let go for her late attendance record. She’s at her wits end and after so much disappointment, she’s forced to move back to her California home with her Mother Susan (Amy Aquino), a butch lesbian who had Ro by sperm donation in the 1990’s. She’s a caring mother, running a tax specialist office and is happy to welcome back her daughter. Unbeknownst to her mother, Ro has been working with a genealogy service to try and find her bio dad. For years, it’s been a “cold case,” with no movement on an answer for Ro. However, the film has found a match, one that’s 51% sure that a man named Gregory Campbell (Tate Donavan) is her bio dad. And he’s agreed to meet her. Even though Jo doesn’t really have any expectations, she wants to know where she came from and has a million questions for him. Often, a film like this will then step into a melodramatic second act with huge drama spills at every turn. Yet, this one doesn’t. And that’s what makes Rhythm is a Dancer feel special.
Notably based (loosely) on writer/director/star Ro Williams’ real life journey of finding her bio dad, the film offers a sweet, understated look at a young woman’s journey to find the pieces of herself that seem lost. Gregory isn’t at all a toxic figure. He’s sweet and forthcoming, and excited to meet her and share his family’s journey, dating all the way back to the Mayflower. She finds a warm connection in this and later in his side of the family as well. Unlike other stories similar to this, Ro’s not unhappy at all with her life. She just wants to connect the two of them. Lauren Caster has crafted a sweet, simple film that tackles some big issues with warmth instead of cynicism. Her performance is also lovely; understated and gentle. Both Amy Aquino and Tate Donavan turn in great performances as well, carrying the films’ emotional weight and, in a breath of fresh air, give gentle and unironic performances. Overall, the film doesn’t have a lot of giant obstacles or a rousing monologue of “emotional triumph.” It feels like many indie films of the 90’s films did. It’s sweet and simple and honest. Unlike so many family films these days, Rhythm is a Dancer really does feel revelatory in its cathartic simple honesty. Something we could use more of these days.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Lauren Caster STARRING Lauren Caster, Amy Aquino, Tate Donavan NOW AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS