"Cha Cha Real Smooth" is a comedy-drama feature, written, directed by Cooper Raiff, produced by and starring Dakota Johnson ("Madame Web"), with Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett and Leslie Mann, now streaming on AppleTV+:
"...fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old 'Andrew' is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey.
"But if there's one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it's how to get a party started...
"...which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar.
"When Andrew befriends a local mom, 'Domino' and her daughter, 'Lola', he finally discovers a future he wants...
"...even if it might not be his own..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old 'Andrew' is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey.
"But if there's one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it's how to get a party started...
"...which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar.
"When Andrew befriends a local mom, 'Domino' and her daughter, 'Lola', he finally discovers a future he wants...
"...even if it might not be his own..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 5/8/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"Cha Cha Real Smooth" is the 2022 comedy-drama feature, written and directed by Cooper Raiff, produced by and starring Dakota Johnson ("Madame Web"), with Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett and Leslie Mann, now streaming on AppleTV+:
"...fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old 'Andrew' is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey.
"But if there's one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it's how to get a party started...
"...which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar.
"When Andrew befriends a local mom, 'Domino' and her daughter, 'Lola', he finally discovers a future he wants...
"...even if it might not be his own..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old 'Andrew' is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey.
"But if there's one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it's how to get a party started...
"...which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar.
"When Andrew befriends a local mom, 'Domino' and her daughter, 'Lola', he finally discovers a future he wants...
"...even if it might not be his own..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/15/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Way before Vanessa Burghardt was cast in “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” movies played an extremely important role in her life. “I didn’t really have any friends in school and so movies became the way that I came to understand social situations and other people and it was kind of the way I fulfilled the socialization I wasn’t getting. They were really important to me,” she tells Gold Derby during our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video interview above).
She even remembers one of the earliest performances she saw that made her want to explore becoming an actress. “I remember seeing, weirdly, Kristen Stewart in ‘Zathura.’ That was the first time where I kind of realized what the idea of acting was. Then I saw the gag reel for ‘The Avengers’ and I looked at the behind the scenes pictures and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it forever.
She even remembers one of the earliest performances she saw that made her want to explore becoming an actress. “I remember seeing, weirdly, Kristen Stewart in ‘Zathura.’ That was the first time where I kind of realized what the idea of acting was. Then I saw the gag reel for ‘The Avengers’ and I looked at the behind the scenes pictures and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it forever.
- 12/8/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The rise of Cooper Raiff continues following the buzzy Sundance and then Apple TV+ debuts of his feature film “Cha Cha Real Smooth” this year. Also in 2022, the “Shithouse” director announced a new film, “The Trashers,” starring David Harbour and Cooper Hoffmann, and launched production company Small Ideas with former Black Bear Pictures executive Clementine Quittner.
The outfit will aim to develop and produce independent film and television projects from emerging filmmakers and creators, as well as writer-director Raiff’s own work. The first project at Small Ideas will be an undisclosed TV series written, directed, and produced by Raiff, with Quittner also producing.
“Cha Cha” was released by Apple TV+ on June 17 but remains in the mix for fall screenplay kudos. Raiff directs, writes, and stars in this low-key comedy about a 22-year-old named Andrew in a post-undergrad slump, and with no clear life path forward. Co-stars include Dakota Johnson...
The outfit will aim to develop and produce independent film and television projects from emerging filmmakers and creators, as well as writer-director Raiff’s own work. The first project at Small Ideas will be an undisclosed TV series written, directed, and produced by Raiff, with Quittner also producing.
“Cha Cha” was released by Apple TV+ on June 17 but remains in the mix for fall screenplay kudos. Raiff directs, writes, and stars in this low-key comedy about a 22-year-old named Andrew in a post-undergrad slump, and with no clear life path forward. Co-stars include Dakota Johnson...
- 12/7/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Cooper Raiff went through tons of audition tapes to cast the role of autistic teen, Lola, in his movie “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” but when he saw Vanessa Burghardt’s tape, he knew that she was the one. “She was nothing like the character that I had originally written. I remember being really scared to tell the producers that it’s gotta be her and I’m gonna rewrite it all to make it work,” he tells Gold Derby during our recent chat (watch the exclusive video interview above). Seeing Burghardt, who also has autism, do the reading with her mother made Raiff think of the relationship between his mom and his sister which originally inspired the movie. “I felt connected with her already through the computer and when I met her, even more so. We’re still close. I just adore her and I’m obsessed with her in...
- 11/23/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Titled after the hit party song no child of the early 2000s could escape, Cooper Raiff’s second feature, Cha Cha Real Smooth, originated as a love letter to parents of disabled children. Inspired by the perserverance of his own family (Raiff’s younger sister does not possess the ability to walk nor speak), Raiff’s screenplay eventually grew to become the story of Andrew (Raiff), a 22-year-old Tulane University graduate who moves back in with his brother (Evan Assante), mom (Leslie Mann), and her lover (Brad Garrett) in Livingston, New Jersey. Working a dead-end job and with his girlfriend in Barcelona on […]
The post “We Shot Seven Parties in 20 Days in an Abandoned Mall”: Cooper Raiff on Cha Cha Real Smooth first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Shot Seven Parties in 20 Days in an Abandoned Mall”: Cooper Raiff on Cha Cha Real Smooth first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/27/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Titled after the hit party song no child of the early 2000s could escape, Cooper Raiff’s second feature, Cha Cha Real Smooth, originated as a love letter to parents of disabled children. Inspired by the perserverance of his own family (Raiff’s younger sister does not possess the ability to walk nor speak), Raiff’s screenplay eventually grew to become the story of Andrew (Raiff), a 22-year-old Tulane University graduate who moves back in with his brother (Evan Assante), mom (Leslie Mann), and her lover (Brad Garrett) in Livingston, New Jersey. Working a dead-end job and with his girlfriend in Barcelona on […]
The post “We Shot Seven Parties in 20 Days in an Abandoned Mall”: Cooper Raiff on Cha Cha Real Smooth first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Shot Seven Parties in 20 Days in an Abandoned Mall”: Cooper Raiff on Cha Cha Real Smooth first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/27/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
There might be coming-of-age films about the preteen experience of going to Bar-mitzvahs, but what about the party starters in the background?
In Cooper Raiff’s second feature film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the writer-director moves on from telling the stories of college life in “S—house” to what life is like after college. Raiff sticks to the feel-good coming-of-age genre in this Sundance success. “
Cha Cha Real Smooth,” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, earning the festival’s Audience Award. After the film’s festival success, AppleTV+ purchased the film’s distribution rights for 15 million dollars, but now that it’s out, how exactly can you watch it? All those answers below.
Also Read:
‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Film Review: Dakota Johnson in Charming Coming-of-Age Dramedy Is “Cha Cha Real Smooth” in Theaters or Streaming?
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” simultaneously premieres in select theaters and will be available to stream on AppleTV+ starting Friday,...
In Cooper Raiff’s second feature film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the writer-director moves on from telling the stories of college life in “S—house” to what life is like after college. Raiff sticks to the feel-good coming-of-age genre in this Sundance success. “
Cha Cha Real Smooth,” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, earning the festival’s Audience Award. After the film’s festival success, AppleTV+ purchased the film’s distribution rights for 15 million dollars, but now that it’s out, how exactly can you watch it? All those answers below.
Also Read:
‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Film Review: Dakota Johnson in Charming Coming-of-Age Dramedy Is “Cha Cha Real Smooth” in Theaters or Streaming?
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” simultaneously premieres in select theaters and will be available to stream on AppleTV+ starting Friday,...
- 6/17/2022
- by Charna Flam
- The Wrap
Mubi Go, which has helped buoy NYC’s arthouse market by offering members a free movie ticket a week at participating theaters, expands to LA today where the biz could really use a boost. The films are curated and the first is Apple’s Cha Cha Real Smooth.
Mubi, a global streaming service, production company and film distributor, launched Mubi Go in New York last fall and will continue expanding to major markets through 2022 with Chicago next. “We’re being very careful and methodical about the rollout,” said distribution chief Chris Wells.
Mubi members get Mubi Go as a perk. The company doesn’t release subscriber numbers but Wells said its NYC base jumped by 30 after it added Mubi Go.
Movie picks include its own releases, like Lingui, The Sacred Bonds, but mostly from other distributors from Drive My Car, The Power of the Dog and Passing to We’re...
Mubi, a global streaming service, production company and film distributor, launched Mubi Go in New York last fall and will continue expanding to major markets through 2022 with Chicago next. “We’re being very careful and methodical about the rollout,” said distribution chief Chris Wells.
Mubi members get Mubi Go as a perk. The company doesn’t release subscriber numbers but Wells said its NYC base jumped by 30 after it added Mubi Go.
Movie picks include its own releases, like Lingui, The Sacred Bonds, but mostly from other distributors from Drive My Car, The Power of the Dog and Passing to We’re...
- 6/17/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Adventurous filmgoers who are looking for a bit of a break from the onslaught of Summer blockbusters may wish to take in this tale of a very different kind of cinema protagonist. And if you’ve just completed college, well then you may identify with this character. He does harken back a bit to the title hero of The Graduate, though his problems aren’t quite as catastrophic. Still, he’s at a crossroads, not sure which trail to pursue. And this somewhat odd title, well it refers to one possible path. Or, to build on the dance metaphor, it’s a lucrative side “hustle”. For a fella’ that’s “flailing about”, he wishes his life was confident like the lyric Cha Cha Real Smooth.
That “fella'” is Pittsburgh native Andrew who is a smitten pre-teen when we first meet him. He’s at a pal’s Bar Mitzvah with...
That “fella'” is Pittsburgh native Andrew who is a smitten pre-teen when we first meet him. He’s at a pal’s Bar Mitzvah with...
- 6/17/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This review of “Cha Cha Real Smooth” was first published on January 22 after the film’s premiere at Sundance.
“We know each other,” says an assured Domino (Dakota Johnson) to Andrew (Cooper Raiff), the uninhibitedly goofy and kind-spirited 22-year-old who has recently come to brighten her life and that of her autistic daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), like a lighting bolt of possibility. Though they’ve seen each other only twice, their immediate chemistry and his earnest curiosity have fast-tracked their palpable attraction.
Coated in a warm effervesce, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” Raiff’s follow-up to his 2020 SXSW winner “S—house,” is a disarmingly heartfelt gem with all the right moves to make you swoon. Though it may appear like the quintessential, character-driven Sundance title about upper-middle-class white people, there are nuanced undercurrents of depth that display how Raiff, a new prodigy of the dramedy, engages with predicaments beyond his age.
“We know each other,” says an assured Domino (Dakota Johnson) to Andrew (Cooper Raiff), the uninhibitedly goofy and kind-spirited 22-year-old who has recently come to brighten her life and that of her autistic daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), like a lighting bolt of possibility. Though they’ve seen each other only twice, their immediate chemistry and his earnest curiosity have fast-tracked their palpable attraction.
Coated in a warm effervesce, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” Raiff’s follow-up to his 2020 SXSW winner “S—house,” is a disarmingly heartfelt gem with all the right moves to make you swoon. Though it may appear like the quintessential, character-driven Sundance title about upper-middle-class white people, there are nuanced undercurrents of depth that display how Raiff, a new prodigy of the dramedy, engages with predicaments beyond his age.
- 6/17/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Johnson and newcomer Vanessa Burghardt carry this flawed but watchable comedy-drama from writer-director Cooper Raiff, who also stars
This amiable, flawed indie has been winding some pundits up – and yes, maybe the auteur-star has a personality that might trigger a hives breakout among a proportion of his audience. This is 25-year-old Cooper Raiff, whose microbudget debut Freshman Year (alternatively titled Shithouse) was a study in semi-articulate anxiety in the manner of the Duplass brothers. Now he gives us this indulgent relationship comedy-drama in which he himself stars as Andrew, a recent college grad whose girlfriend has airily gone off to Barcelona.
Without the funds (or indeed a clear invitation) to join her, Andrew must come back to live in the family home with his bipolar mom (Leslie Mann) and stepdad Greg (Brad Garrett), sharing a room with his kid brother David (Evan Assante), getting a humiliating job in a fast...
This amiable, flawed indie has been winding some pundits up – and yes, maybe the auteur-star has a personality that might trigger a hives breakout among a proportion of his audience. This is 25-year-old Cooper Raiff, whose microbudget debut Freshman Year (alternatively titled Shithouse) was a study in semi-articulate anxiety in the manner of the Duplass brothers. Now he gives us this indulgent relationship comedy-drama in which he himself stars as Andrew, a recent college grad whose girlfriend has airily gone off to Barcelona.
Without the funds (or indeed a clear invitation) to join her, Andrew must come back to live in the family home with his bipolar mom (Leslie Mann) and stepdad Greg (Brad Garrett), sharing a room with his kid brother David (Evan Assante), getting a humiliating job in a fast...
- 6/15/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
AppleTV has debuted a new trailer for the upcoming feature ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth.’
Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants—even if it might not be his own.
Related: Our glowing 5-star review from Sundance 2022.
Cooper Raiff writes, directs, and stars alongside Dakota Johnson, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, and newcomers Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante.
Also in trailers – “I live this game…” Adam Sandler stars in new trailer for ‘Hustle’
The film...
Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants—even if it might not be his own.
Related: Our glowing 5-star review from Sundance 2022.
Cooper Raiff writes, directs, and stars alongside Dakota Johnson, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, and newcomers Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante.
Also in trailers – “I live this game…” Adam Sandler stars in new trailer for ‘Hustle’
The film...
- 5/13/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
On Thursday, the first official trailer for writer-director Cooper Raiff’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth” was released ahead of its Apple TV+ premiere next month.
Raiff also produced the Sundance Film Festival premiere and plays the lead role in the film.
The official plot synopsis reads as follows:
“Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants—even if it might not be his own.”
The film stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante,...
Raiff also produced the Sundance Film Festival premiere and plays the lead role in the film.
The official plot synopsis reads as follows:
“Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino, and her daughter, Lola, he finally discovers a future he wants—even if it might not be his own.”
The film stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Gold Derby
Sundance winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the sophomore project from indie writer-director Cooper Raiff, has unveiled its official trailer. The film stars Raiff and Dakota Johnson in an unconventional love story between a college graduate and a single mom.
The movie follows 22-year-old Andrew (played by Raiff), who’s fresh out of college and stuck at home with his family in New Jersey, with no clear life path. Andrew has no ambition and no real skills, except for one: he knows how to get a party started. This skill lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. Things change for Andrew when he meets a local mother named Domino, played by Johnson. He befriends the mom and her daughter, Lola, and finally discovers a future he wants.
The cast is rounded out by Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, Raúl Castillo,...
The movie follows 22-year-old Andrew (played by Raiff), who’s fresh out of college and stuck at home with his family in New Jersey, with no clear life path. Andrew has no ambition and no real skills, except for one: he knows how to get a party started. This skill lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. Things change for Andrew when he meets a local mother named Domino, played by Johnson. He befriends the mom and her daughter, Lola, and finally discovers a future he wants.
The cast is rounded out by Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, Raúl Castillo,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Angelique Jackson, Wilson Chapman and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
"I'm having more fun now than I did the whole night." Apple has revealed the official trailer for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the third feature from talented young filmmaker Cooper Raiff, following his breakout hit Shithouse from a few years ago. This indie dramedy premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it earned rave reviews from many critics and ended up winning the coveted Audience Award prize. A young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter. As he gets closer to her, he learns everything doesn't always go as hoped. Cooper Raiff writes, directs & stars with Dakota Johnson, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann, and newcomers Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante in this tale of unconventional love that brims with emotional honesty. Not my favorite film from Sundance but it's really sweet and brutally honest in a very moving way.
- 5/12/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
On the heels of their Best Picture-winning Coda, Apple TV+ is gearing up for the release of another major Sundance acquisition: Cooper Raiff’s sophomore feature Cha Cha Real Smooth, which they picked up for around 15 million out of the festival. Also starring Dakota Johnson, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, and Odeya Rush, the film follows a recent college graduate who finds a job as a party hype man at local bar and bat mitzvahs and strikes up a connection with Johnson’s character, who is married. Ahead of the June 17 release, the first trailer has now arrived.
In his review of Cha Cha Real Smooth, Jake Kring-Schreifels said, “It’s not exactly cool to be the nice guy these days, but Cooper Raiff is making a good case for them again. In each of the 24-year-old’s first two movies, his sensible zoomer characters...
In his review of Cha Cha Real Smooth, Jake Kring-Schreifels said, “It’s not exactly cool to be the nice guy these days, but Cooper Raiff is making a good case for them again. In each of the 24-year-old’s first two movies, his sensible zoomer characters...
- 5/12/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
In 2021, Apple acquired a crowd-pleasing indie film at Sundance with “Coda,” released it during the summer, and mounted an Oscar campaign that ultimately delivered it the trophy for Best Picture. Could the tech giant be looking to repeat that cycle with its latest buzzy acquisition? Based on the festival response and summer release date for “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” whose first trailer dropped today, this film could have similar appeal on Apple TV+.
The film stars Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Cooper Raiff, Brad Garrett, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo, and Colton Osorio. “Cha Cha” tells the story of a young bar mitzvah party starter (Raiff) who falls in love with a single mother (Dakota Johnson) of a disabled child.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” was written and directed by wunderkind filmmaker Raiff, his second effort behind the camera following his 2020 SXSW breakout “Shithouse.” His first film made enough of an...
The film stars Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Cooper Raiff, Brad Garrett, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo, and Colton Osorio. “Cha Cha” tells the story of a young bar mitzvah party starter (Raiff) who falls in love with a single mother (Dakota Johnson) of a disabled child.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” was written and directed by wunderkind filmmaker Raiff, his second effort behind the camera following his 2020 SXSW breakout “Shithouse.” His first film made enough of an...
- 5/12/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Stars: Phuong Kubacki, Xing Yu, Mike Pu, Steven He, Evan Assante, Christy Tate, Samuel Wang | Written by Chris Hoyt, Xing Haishun, Wu Chenglei | Directed by Ryan Bellgardt
If the opening minutes of Dinosaur World look somewhat familiar, there’s a good reason for that. In 2018 director Ryan Bellgardt made a film called The Jurassic Games which proved quite popular in China. He was approached to do a remake for the Chinese streaming market. So he and writer Chris Hoyt (The Adventures of Jurassic Pet) along with a pair of Chinese writers Xing Haishun and Wu Chenglei reworked the script for that market and filmed it in Oklahoma with a Chinese cast and a mix of new and recycled effects. And now that version is getting a North American release.
The VR version of the popular game Dinosaur World is about to come out of closed beta and to celebrate the developers are running a contest.
If the opening minutes of Dinosaur World look somewhat familiar, there’s a good reason for that. In 2018 director Ryan Bellgardt made a film called The Jurassic Games which proved quite popular in China. He was approached to do a remake for the Chinese streaming market. So he and writer Chris Hoyt (The Adventures of Jurassic Pet) along with a pair of Chinese writers Xing Haishun and Wu Chenglei reworked the script for that market and filmed it in Oklahoma with a Chinese cast and a mix of new and recycled effects. And now that version is getting a North American release.
The VR version of the popular game Dinosaur World is about to come out of closed beta and to celebrate the developers are running a contest.
- 5/11/2022
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
If you like your cinema to come with positive energy, you'll feel as charged as a Duracell bunny after spending time in the company of Cooper Raiff's Cha Cha Real Smooth, although some may find the writer/director's "it's nice to be nice" screenwriting mantra gets into overkill (or should that be overcuddle?) territory in places.
Raiff - who still hasn't quite got the hang of titles after his debut Shithouse (renamed as the rather more anodyne Freshman Year) - also stars as Andrew, a recent graduate who, like so many before him, has entered the move-back-home-dead-end-job limbo between schooling and whatever comes next. The unlikeliest of prospects springs up on the night he takes his younger bro David (Evan Assante) to a bat mitzvah, where his charm with the youngsters and ability to get them on the dancefloor makes him an instant hit with the parents and gets him hired as.
Raiff - who still hasn't quite got the hang of titles after his debut Shithouse (renamed as the rather more anodyne Freshman Year) - also stars as Andrew, a recent graduate who, like so many before him, has entered the move-back-home-dead-end-job limbo between schooling and whatever comes next. The unlikeliest of prospects springs up on the night he takes his younger bro David (Evan Assante) to a bat mitzvah, where his charm with the youngsters and ability to get them on the dancefloor makes him an instant hit with the parents and gets him hired as.
- 2/10/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Dakota Johnson, star and producer of “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” said she first got to know director-writer-actor Cooper Raiff by seeing his debut feature film “Sh-House,” a SXSW winner about a tender college romance. Raiff wrote, directed and starred in that film as well.
“I just found him to be supremely intelligent, but soulful and sweet and complicated and accessible,” Johnson said at TheWrap’s virtual Sundance studio. She was joined by Raiff and “Cha Cha” cast members Leslie Mann, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Raúl Castillo, Brad Garrett and Odeya Rush.
Raiff added, “When we first met, it was electric chemistry.”
Johnson said she loved the movie’s title. In the film, a 22-year-old college grad (Raiff), who is working as a bar mitzvah party starter, begins a friendship with a young mother (Johnson) and an autistic girl (Burghardt). The “Cha Cha Slide” song and dance are highly popular on the bar mitzvah circuit.
“I just found him to be supremely intelligent, but soulful and sweet and complicated and accessible,” Johnson said at TheWrap’s virtual Sundance studio. She was joined by Raiff and “Cha Cha” cast members Leslie Mann, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Raúl Castillo, Brad Garrett and Odeya Rush.
Raiff added, “When we first met, it was electric chemistry.”
Johnson said she loved the movie’s title. In the film, a 22-year-old college grad (Raiff), who is working as a bar mitzvah party starter, begins a friendship with a young mother (Johnson) and an autistic girl (Burghardt). The “Cha Cha Slide” song and dance are highly popular on the bar mitzvah circuit.
- 1/30/2022
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Apple TV+ has picked up the worldwide rights to one of the titles from the Sundance Film Festival that you've likely at least heard the name of: "Cha Cha Real Smooth." Our own Ben Pearson gave the film a smashing review at the festival. This one comes to us from writer/director/producer/star (whew!) Cooper Raiff whose first feature, "Shithouse," was the Grand Jury Prize Winner at the SXSW Film Festival in 2020. This is only his second film.
"Cha Cha Real Smooth" stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Evan Assante, and Vanessa Burghardt. "Cha Cha Real Smooth" is the story of a young...
The post Sundance Hit Cha Cha Real Smooth, Starring Dakota Johnson, Acquired by Apple TV+ appeared first on /Film.
"Cha Cha Real Smooth" stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Evan Assante, and Vanessa Burghardt. "Cha Cha Real Smooth" is the story of a young...
The post Sundance Hit Cha Cha Real Smooth, Starring Dakota Johnson, Acquired by Apple TV+ appeared first on /Film.
- 1/29/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
After nine days, 84 feature films, and 59 short films, the Sundance juries have announced their winners, with all films screenings over Saturday and Sunday and tickets now on sale. One can check out the full list below, with Nanny, The Exiles, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and Navalny bringing home the major prizes, and see our complete coverage here.
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Nikyatu Jusu for Nanny / U.S.A. — Aisha is an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City. As she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal, a violent supernatural presence invades her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together. Cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams.
Juror Chelsea Bernard said: “For this Grand Jury Prize we celebrate a movie that flooded us...
Grand Jury Prizes
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Nikyatu Jusu for Nanny / U.S.A. — Aisha is an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City. As she prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal, a violent supernatural presence invades her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together. Cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams.
Juror Chelsea Bernard said: “For this Grand Jury Prize we celebrate a movie that flooded us...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The film is directed by Cooper Raiff, who also stars alongside Dakota Johnson.
Apple has acquired worldwide rights to Cooper Raiff’s Sundance title Cha Cha Real Smooth, in a deal worth a reported $15m, making it the bigges so far at this year’s virtual festival.
The film premiered in the US dramatic competition and stars Raiff as an aimless college student who befriends a young mother played by Dakota Johnson. The cast also includes Leslie Mann, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garett, Raúl Castillo, and Odeya Rush.
Raiff wrote the script and produced alongside Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig and Jessica Switch.
Apple has acquired worldwide rights to Cooper Raiff’s Sundance title Cha Cha Real Smooth, in a deal worth a reported $15m, making it the bigges so far at this year’s virtual festival.
The film premiered in the US dramatic competition and stars Raiff as an aimless college student who befriends a young mother played by Dakota Johnson. The cast also includes Leslie Mann, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garett, Raúl Castillo, and Odeya Rush.
Raiff wrote the script and produced alongside Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig and Jessica Switch.
- 1/27/2022
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
“Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the second feature from director-actor Cooper Raiff that earned warm reviews after its premiere at the virtual Sundance Film Festival 2022, has been snatched up by Apple Original Films, individuals with knowledge of the deal tell TheWrap.
The film will now stream globally on Apple TV+. Terms of the deal have not been made public, but according to Variety, which first reported the sale, it was worth close to $15 million. Endeavor Content brokered the sale alongside ICM Partners.
Raiff stars as a recent college graduate living at home who becomes involved with a single mother while figuring his life out. It also stars Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo and Evan Assante.
In his review of the film for TheWrap, Carlos Aguilar wrote: “Avoiding the sophomore slump, Raiff’s delightfully sigh-worthy ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ is the type of sincere enterprise that could...
The film will now stream globally on Apple TV+. Terms of the deal have not been made public, but according to Variety, which first reported the sale, it was worth close to $15 million. Endeavor Content brokered the sale alongside ICM Partners.
Raiff stars as a recent college graduate living at home who becomes involved with a single mother while figuring his life out. It also stars Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo and Evan Assante.
In his review of the film for TheWrap, Carlos Aguilar wrote: “Avoiding the sophomore slump, Raiff’s delightfully sigh-worthy ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ is the type of sincere enterprise that could...
- 1/27/2022
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Apple has closed the biggest deal of the 2022 Virtual Sundance Film Festival, securing worldwide rights to the Cooper Raiff-directed Cha Cha Real Smooth for around $15 million. The streamer has been the front runner for the picture since it premiered January 23 in the US Dramatic Competition category.
Pic is Raiff’s followup to his 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize–winning debut feature Shithouse. He plays a directionless college graduate in New Jersey who gets over his head in a relationship with a young mom and her autistic teenage daughter, as he works a job party-starting bar and bat mitzvahs of his younger brother’s classmates. Co-financed by Picturestart and Endeavor Content, the pic is a real crowd pleaser. It stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo and Evan Assante.
Raiff wrote the script and he produced with Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig and Jessica Switch. The exec producers are Jeff Valeri,...
Pic is Raiff’s followup to his 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize–winning debut feature Shithouse. He plays a directionless college graduate in New Jersey who gets over his head in a relationship with a young mom and her autistic teenage daughter, as he works a job party-starting bar and bat mitzvahs of his younger brother’s classmates. Co-financed by Picturestart and Endeavor Content, the pic is a real crowd pleaser. It stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt, Raul Castillo and Evan Assante.
Raiff wrote the script and he produced with Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig and Jessica Switch. The exec producers are Jeff Valeri,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Cooper Raiff’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth” is officially dancing to Apple TV Plus. The tech giant has nabbed the second feature from the heat-seeking director out of this year’s virtual edition of the Sundance Film Festival.
Apple emerged victorious from a competitive bidding situation that attracted Netflix, Amazon and Sony Pictures as potential buyers.
The deal was brokered by ICM Partners, WME and Endeavor Content. It closed close to $15 million, an individual familiar with the talks stated.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” stars Raiff as a recent graduate working as a bar mitzvah hype man. While on the job, he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and her teenage daughter (Vanessa Burghardt). Leslie Mann, Evan Assante, Raúl Castillo and Odeya Rush fill out the ensemble.
Erik Feig’s PictureStart and Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s TeaTime Pictures produced the film alongside Endeavor Content. The...
Apple emerged victorious from a competitive bidding situation that attracted Netflix, Amazon and Sony Pictures as potential buyers.
The deal was brokered by ICM Partners, WME and Endeavor Content. It closed close to $15 million, an individual familiar with the talks stated.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” stars Raiff as a recent graduate working as a bar mitzvah hype man. While on the job, he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and her teenage daughter (Vanessa Burghardt). Leslie Mann, Evan Assante, Raúl Castillo and Odeya Rush fill out the ensemble.
Erik Feig’s PictureStart and Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s TeaTime Pictures produced the film alongside Endeavor Content. The...
- 1/27/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The greatest of films mirror life. They capture the events and realties of the world, but also the emotional ride that is existence. A perfect movie, like a full life, will make you experience the highest of highs, but the crushing depths of lows.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is this kind of movie. It’s hard to remember a Sundance movie that made me feel so much in such a short time. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I hurt. As I write this now I write it with a smile on my face because I was able to experience what Cooper Raiff has brought to Sundance in 2022.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is the second feature film from the director. Raiff wrote, directed and stars in this film and is equally incredibly talented in all three of those fields. He also stars alongside Dakota Johnson, who gives the best performance of her career.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is this kind of movie. It’s hard to remember a Sundance movie that made me feel so much in such a short time. I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I hurt. As I write this now I write it with a smile on my face because I was able to experience what Cooper Raiff has brought to Sundance in 2022.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is the second feature film from the director. Raiff wrote, directed and stars in this film and is equally incredibly talented in all three of those fields. He also stars alongside Dakota Johnson, who gives the best performance of her career.
- 1/25/2022
- by Nathan McVay
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s not exactly cool to be the nice guy these days, but Cooper Raiff is making a good case for them again. In each of the 24-year-old’s first two movies, his sensible zoomer characters have the gift of being goofy, innocent, and naive. They wear their kind and confident hearts on their sleeves, even if they often breach the comfortable boundaries of social norms. Mostly they are empathetic, rid of the toxicity that makes vulnerable young men—and the movies they star in—sour and one-dimensional. That this young and perceptive writer-director is so emotionally honest only elevates the entirety of his humble, charming, crowd-pleasing work.
Raiff established this reputation in his breakout debut Shithouse, a college rom-com that won the top award at SXSW in 2020. Its Richard Linklater-inspired, walk-and-talk ethos supplemented Raiff’s authenticity and anxieties about the transition from home to college and struggles of...
Raiff established this reputation in his breakout debut Shithouse, a college rom-com that won the top award at SXSW in 2020. Its Richard Linklater-inspired, walk-and-talk ethos supplemented Raiff’s authenticity and anxieties about the transition from home to college and struggles of...
- 1/24/2022
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
With a promising start with his first film Shithouse for which he starred, directed and wrote and won the Grand Jury Narrative Prize at SXSW, Cooper Raiff looms now also to be one of the breakouts of this year’s Sundance Film Festival where Cha Cha Real Smooth, his small but splendid second film for which he performs the same triple threat duties debuted Sunday as part of the Dramatic Competition lineup. I can only imagine if the festival had managed to be in person as originally planned rather than virtual in this Omicron-stricken year it would be met with a massive standing ovation. Raiff is bound to become an indie darling as if further proof was needed, but Cha Cha Real Smooth cements him as the real deal both in front of and behind the camera.
In the wake of Ted Lasso hitting the zeitgeist by centering on a...
In the wake of Ted Lasso hitting the zeitgeist by centering on a...
- 1/23/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
He’s a cha cha real smooth talker. He’s 22, tall and handsome with a beard, but not a scruffy hipster beard — more like a post-millennial, post-ironic traditional beard, which sets off features that are finely chiseled in a Middle American corporate way. He’s just out of college but has no idea what he wants to do. He’s a Zoomer spinning his wheels, part of a tradition of aimless rebel slackers that stretches back to “The Graduate.” He’s sincere but a bit smarmy, a “nice guy” who knows how to use his sincerity. He is, of course, good with the ladies, maybe a little too good, which is why he attracts the amorous attentions of a mother he meets at a bat mitzvah, played by Dakota Johnson. And he’s got problems, but they’re sort of white people problems. You could call them old-school indie-film problems.
- 1/23/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
I suppose there are some people who might have an allergic reaction to the comfortably uncool movies of Cooper Raiff — some people who might stiffen up whenever his low-key indie charmers offer a supportive hug and remind you that we’re all just doing our best — but every life-sized beat of the 24-year-old’s first two features has struck me as wry and true in a way that makes the stories around them feel all the more honest for their empathy. If that would be a promising start under any circumstances, it’s an especially nifty magic trick at a time when the world is fucked to a degree that anything nice seems like it must be lying to you somehow.
Drawing from Richard Linklater and mentored by Jay Duplass, Raiff’s SXSW-winning “Shithouse” is the softest rom-com you’ll ever see about a homesick college freshman who can’t...
Drawing from Richard Linklater and mentored by Jay Duplass, Raiff’s SXSW-winning “Shithouse” is the softest rom-com you’ll ever see about a homesick college freshman who can’t...
- 1/23/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Cooper Raiff can’t seem to catch a break from Covid. A hyphenate who comes into Sundance with one of the buzziest acquisitions titles in Cha Cha Real Smooth, Raiff is coming off the debut Shithouse — it’s more thoughtful than it sounds — that won the Grand Jury Prize at 2020 SXSW. Unfortunately, it was also the first major festival forced to cancel in-person events by Austin when Covid exploded. Raiff has made another charming confused young man comes of age film that he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. And now has run smack into Covid Delta’s sequel, Omicron. Which means he’ll keep intact his festival streak of being unable to experience his film playing in a crowded theater, a disadvantage since he makes crowd-pleasing films. The film, which stars Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Burghardt and Evan Assante, makes its virtual Sundance debut tomorrow.
- 1/22/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
When You Finish Saving the World The Sundance Institute has announced the films selected for their hybrid 2022 Festival, which will take place in-person in Park City, online, and in arthouse theaters across the United States.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITION892 (Abi Damaris Corbin): When Brian Brown-Easley’s disability check fails to materialize from Veterans Affairs, he finds himself on the brink of homelessness and breaking his daughter’s heart. No other options, he walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and says “I’ve got a bomb.“ Cast: John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, Selenis Leyva. World Premiere.Alice (Krystin Ver Linden): When a woman in servitude in 1800s Georgia escapes the 55-acre confines of her captor, she discovers the shocking reality that exists beyond the treeline…it’s 1973. Inspired by true events. Cast: Keke Palmer, Common, Jonny Lee Miller, Gaius Charles. World Premiere.blood...
- 12/15/2021
- MUBI
Taking place online and in person, the Sundance Film Festival will return for its 2022 edition January 20th through 30th and now the main lineup has been unveiled. With 82 feature-length films representing 28 countries, these films were selected from 14,849 submissions, including 3,762 feature-length films.
Notable titles include Ramin Bahrani’s 2nd Chance, Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, Riley Stearns’ Dual, Ricky D’Ambrose’s The Cathedral, two Dakota Johnson-led films, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Am I Ok?, the Bill Nighy-led Ikiru remake Living, Sierra Pettengill’s Riotsville, USA, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt, Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane, W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, Kogonada’s After Yang, James Ponsoldt’s Summering, and more.
“The online dimension of the festival was something that after, having done it last year, we valued greatly,” says Tabitha Jackson,...
Notable titles include Ramin Bahrani’s 2nd Chance, Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, Riley Stearns’ Dual, Ricky D’Ambrose’s The Cathedral, two Dakota Johnson-led films, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Am I Ok?, the Bill Nighy-led Ikiru remake Living, Sierra Pettengill’s Riotsville, USA, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt, Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane, W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, Kogonada’s After Yang, James Ponsoldt’s Summering, and more.
“The online dimension of the festival was something that after, having done it last year, we valued greatly,” says Tabitha Jackson,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Dakota Johnson indie “Cha Cha Real Smooth” has added seven stars to its supporting cast, as production kicks off Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante and Colton Osorio have all joined the film project from writer-director-star Cooper Raiff.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” follows a directionless college grad embarking on a relationship with a young mom and her teenage daughter, all while learning the boundaries of his new gig as a bar mitzvah hype man. Erik Feig’s Picturestart, Endeavor Content, and Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s TeaTime Pictures are producing. Financing is from Picturestart and Endeavor Content, and the latter is co-repping worldwide distribution rights with ICM Partners.
The feature comes on the heels of Raiff’s debut “Shithouse,” which won the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize.
“We are thrilled to begin production on this heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-pumping and unique film of Cooper Raiff’s,...
Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante and Colton Osorio have all joined the film project from writer-director-star Cooper Raiff.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” follows a directionless college grad embarking on a relationship with a young mom and her teenage daughter, all while learning the boundaries of his new gig as a bar mitzvah hype man. Erik Feig’s Picturestart, Endeavor Content, and Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s TeaTime Pictures are producing. Financing is from Picturestart and Endeavor Content, and the latter is co-repping worldwide distribution rights with ICM Partners.
The feature comes on the heels of Raiff’s debut “Shithouse,” which won the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury Prize.
“We are thrilled to begin production on this heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-pumping and unique film of Cooper Raiff’s,...
- 8/12/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
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