As someone who loved Sh!thouse, I mostly wanted to see what Raiff would do next. Would it feel that real again? Could he find that mix of funny and heartbreaking? Answer: yes. This kid has such a knack for finding connections that feel human - joyous and complicated and cringy and triumphant and sad. Nothing in this movie feels like a stretch. So much happens, and so little happens all at once....for the plot and for the protagonist. I so wanted Andrew to be the best version of himself through it all. I'm excited Raiff has found a way to make this kind of story because we need more of them.
109 Reviews
Not sure why people hate it.
cscott233120 June 2022
It was a very sweet movie. Made me laugh as well. Glad it didn't have the ending some would've wanted. Not really sure where all the hate comes in, or how this movie has ruined weekends. It was a good enough movie that you didn't have to pay extra for, that's for sure!
Fun comfort zone movie for modern viewers
chenp-5470820 April 2022
Saw this back at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
Having seen 'S#!%house' also directed by Cooper Raiff, I already knew what to aspect from this movie. I expected comfort atmosphere displayed and a comedy movie about youth. I wasn't disappointed or wowed by anything from the movie but I was still able to connect with the movie.
Raiff clearly understands how modern people act and the youth generation of our time. His way of capturing youth was pretty impress for the most part. Many of the relationships between with the character felt real and the performances from Raiff and Dakota Johnson were some of the best chemistry I have seen in a romance movie in quite some time. I was able to find myself wanting to know a little more about them. Vanessa Burghardt who plays the daughter of Johnson's character surprisingly pretty good. The production design was pretty decent, good music choices and really good pacing.
Unfortunately, the story does become really basic. Really generic story that is pretty bland. But without Raiff's charms and chemistry, it would have been like a bad hallmark movie almost like "CODA". The camerawork doesn't offer really anything special and some of the child actors honestly were really bad that took the experience out at times. This movie seems to be very personal for Raiff which I can understand where he is coming from. I won't be surprised if this movie will be able to connect with many audiences. The characters for the most part were interesting although the family aspects of this movie didn't really offer much and felt unfocused at the same time.
However, despite being cheesy, I was still able to connect with the movie emotionally and still be invested with what is happening around them. I do look forward to see what Cooper Raiff makes in the future.
Rating: B-
Having seen 'S#!%house' also directed by Cooper Raiff, I already knew what to aspect from this movie. I expected comfort atmosphere displayed and a comedy movie about youth. I wasn't disappointed or wowed by anything from the movie but I was still able to connect with the movie.
Raiff clearly understands how modern people act and the youth generation of our time. His way of capturing youth was pretty impress for the most part. Many of the relationships between with the character felt real and the performances from Raiff and Dakota Johnson were some of the best chemistry I have seen in a romance movie in quite some time. I was able to find myself wanting to know a little more about them. Vanessa Burghardt who plays the daughter of Johnson's character surprisingly pretty good. The production design was pretty decent, good music choices and really good pacing.
Unfortunately, the story does become really basic. Really generic story that is pretty bland. But without Raiff's charms and chemistry, it would have been like a bad hallmark movie almost like "CODA". The camerawork doesn't offer really anything special and some of the child actors honestly were really bad that took the experience out at times. This movie seems to be very personal for Raiff which I can understand where he is coming from. I won't be surprised if this movie will be able to connect with many audiences. The characters for the most part were interesting although the family aspects of this movie didn't really offer much and felt unfocused at the same time.
However, despite being cheesy, I was still able to connect with the movie emotionally and still be invested with what is happening around them. I do look forward to see what Cooper Raiff makes in the future.
Rating: B-
Who is this incredibly Talented Mr. Raiff?
adamsandel19 June 2022
This is the sweetest, freshest, most genuinely heartfelt movie that I've seen in ages.
The script is thoroughly original, warm and witty, and the story unfolds without a false moment or even a whiff of predictably. The direction is sensitive and assured, and the leading man is endearingly winning.
It blows my mind that all of these are the work of the same person: the 25-year-old Cooper Raiff.
If you are reading this, Mr. Raiff, bravo and congratulations! Whoever funded this film needs to give him more money to make more films.
The script is thoroughly original, warm and witty, and the story unfolds without a false moment or even a whiff of predictably. The direction is sensitive and assured, and the leading man is endearingly winning.
It blows my mind that all of these are the work of the same person: the 25-year-old Cooper Raiff.
If you are reading this, Mr. Raiff, bravo and congratulations! Whoever funded this film needs to give him more money to make more films.
Great movie, terrible actor
reichert-medien21 June 2022
Cooper Raiff
sarfoking19 June 2022
This is a very heartwarming film. Cooper Raiff was very charming as the lead, and he literally carried this whole movie on his back. I was surprised to find out he was the director, producer, and editor in addition to being the lead actor. I also love Dakota Johnson's hot streak of delivering great back to back performances in The Lost Daughter and Cha Cha Real Smooth. This is currently my favorite movie of 2022.
Sweet But Inconsequential
Minnesota_Reid19 May 2022
A decent movie about a 22 year old trying to find his way in the world. He is sweet and upbeat despite his fast-food job and girl friend off to Barcelona and maybe not coming back to him. He meets a somewhat older woman with issues, and there is mutual chemistry. (His attraction to older women is set up in the opening scene of him as a preteen suffering a hopeless crush.)
This showing of the movie was a bit surreal. Apple, a company known for its success at addicting people to their silly devices, hired a uniformed brute squad to make sure no one recorded anything. And indeed, they did remove several of the degenerate phone addicts who cannot live for ten minutes without the fix of a beep to remind them that they are alive. The guards marched around, keys jiggling, opening doors to the bright outside, sometimes talking to each other. Thanks, Apple.
The production values were mixed. In scenes with more than a couple of people, it was very hard to make out the dialog. Visually, everything was bluish with sharp focus close up and fuzziness beyond. I wish they'd spent a little more on production values and a lot less on hiring copyright thugs.
This showing of the movie was a bit surreal. Apple, a company known for its success at addicting people to their silly devices, hired a uniformed brute squad to make sure no one recorded anything. And indeed, they did remove several of the degenerate phone addicts who cannot live for ten minutes without the fix of a beep to remind them that they are alive. The guards marched around, keys jiggling, opening doors to the bright outside, sometimes talking to each other. Thanks, Apple.
The production values were mixed. In scenes with more than a couple of people, it was very hard to make out the dialog. Visually, everything was bluish with sharp focus close up and fuzziness beyond. I wish they'd spent a little more on production values and a lot less on hiring copyright thugs.
The right amount of tears & laughs!
geokk17 June 2022
It's a classic indie film and that's a plus in my book! It's a really nice story and it's perfectly directed, Cooper Raiff did an excellent job! There are some really joyful and humorous moments, really liked Raiff's sense of humour and there also some touching scenes, in particular the one where Raiff and Johnson talk about depression (I cried my eyes out during that scene)! Though I'd like to notify that there's a cringe dialogue between them in another scene later in the movie too! All in all, the movie is definitely worth watching if you love the combination of sentimental and funny!
Not Bad
ricramey200021 June 2022
Cooper did great writing and directing but, I didn't believe him as an actor. Needed to hand that off to an actor who's got a bit more experience in front of the camera. The brothers touching, sweet moments were great. You've got more talent in the humorous script. Stay away from the serious stuff.
Heartwarming and lovely
AdamMohammed4110 July 2022
Where this actor, director and writer who called Mr. Raiff been!? This movie is such incredible one for those who love drama and calm movies! Right amount of laughters and tears, Besides that it has the touch of Apple+, the music and the simplicity of telling the story. Love this movie so much.
Mildly disappointed due to all the hype.
somf19 June 2022
Cha cha comes with a a lot of advanced hype. Audience fave at this festival and that and can these be this year's Coda kind of hype. It isn't nearly as good a film as Coda. It is a solid indie dramedy and worth a watch, but there was this this sort of "aren't I cute?" demeanor to the main character of Andrew that began to annoy me at the end. I am growing to like Dakota Johnson more in every film that I see her in, and I loved her character. There were a lot of things that I liked about the film, including the soundtrack and, and there were a light of make you smile moments, and so it is worth a watch. Just a bit overhyped if you ask me.
Super corny
tolkar088 November 2022
A disappointment, bad acting, pretentious, a teenage movie with flat characters, and script. The only cool thing was the name of the film. Dakota Johnson was whispering her lines in vain try to pass as femme fatale but the script was unfair to her and she only create awkward moments to viewers. Cooper was also trying hard to play the rebel but nice guy, but we never understood why he is so negative about his step father what he wants ftom his life and what he is planning to do. Few good scenes especially with his younger brother were funny but the whole movie was nothing to write home about. Easy to forget.
An over confident mess
DominosthroughAgrate24 July 2022
Liked the concept, enjoyed the look of the trailer and then sat down and watched the film. I don't think I've ever see a film with such an accidentally claustrophobic and unrealistic fictional landscape, well certainly not a romcom, anyway. From the very start it feels as though the story is being told an inch away from your face, creates a very unsettling and hard to describe tone, like watching a sub-par Woody Allen neurosis-laden "comedy", but, with camera work that mimics the closeness of Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien. Sadly, the protagonist came across to me as completely self absorbed, hyper- confident and deeply smug. A major issue with Cooper and this character he's created, is age, he looks as though he's 30'years old and yet is playing a 22 year old babysitter/children's party host with a heart of gold, which regularly just feels deeply odd and unsettling. Absolutely bizarre film, I couldn't make it to the end.
Sweet
PedroPires9028 July 2022
This is cute and the script very well worked, but I feel like the scope is really small and doesn't do much more than "being cute". I found most of the structure a bit predictable. Super relatable and with clear messages, but a bit too much inoffensive, afraid to go further.
Cha Cha Real Smooth Review
theredsky4 March 2022
This was the other film I was privileged to see during Sundance and it's most likely gonna go down as one of my favorites of the year. Cha Cha Real Smooth has more of a personal connection to me with how it treats leaving home while you still have a younger sibling there. It really resonated with me and I'm not ashamed to say that the final scene of the film almost made me cry. It hit very close to home. The performances here are great. Major props to Cooper Raiff for Directing, Writing, and starring in this because the writing and his performance were fantastic. His direction was pretty good but the writing and acting outshined it. His character feels very realistic. He gets in over his head a lot but tries his best to make others feel happy and he usually succeeds at it. Dakota Johnson did a great job as well along with Vanessa Burghardt who plays her daughter. All of these characters that Raiff wrote are great. They feel personal and well thought out and play a major impact into the story. As you can tell, it was the characters and writing that really sold me for this film because those aspects genuinely are fantastic. The music and editing were good but really weren't anything that special. I would highly recommend checking this film out whenever it hits theaters or streaming services if you want a more personal kind of story.
Not perfect but quite an enjoyable feel good movie
arabnikita16 July 2022
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
Normally, a film with a title as funky as this one will not only fly under my radar, but I will also laugh at it as it passes by. However, thanks to the wonderful filmstagram community, I actually read the synopsis and realized that this is my kind of a feel good movie. The surprising part of it all, is that the movie's lead actor Cooper Raiff is also the writer-director and I got to say he did a formidable job on all the 3 fronts.
The film is about a young guy trying to figure out his life and while he is on that journey, he decides to become a bar mitzvah host. During one of those events, he forms a friendship with a young autistic girl and her mother, who he gradually ends up falling in love with. All of this is done in a lively way making you care about the characters and the events they are going through. The movie manages to weave a warm narrative filled with bits of pleasant comedy and drama.
The performances from the main cast are enjoyable to watch and the chemistry between Cooper and Dakota allows for both smile and sentiment. Probably the biggest weakness here is that the movie opens more doors than it can close which makes you wonder about the overall purpose. The reason why I decided to watch the film is because of its narrative's similarity with CODA and Peanut Butter Falcon. While it didn't leave the same impact, Cha Cha Real Smooth achieved its objective of being a pure and heartfelt feel good movie.
Movies.shmovies on Instagram for honest movie and TV Show reviews.
Normally, a film with a title as funky as this one will not only fly under my radar, but I will also laugh at it as it passes by. However, thanks to the wonderful filmstagram community, I actually read the synopsis and realized that this is my kind of a feel good movie. The surprising part of it all, is that the movie's lead actor Cooper Raiff is also the writer-director and I got to say he did a formidable job on all the 3 fronts.
The film is about a young guy trying to figure out his life and while he is on that journey, he decides to become a bar mitzvah host. During one of those events, he forms a friendship with a young autistic girl and her mother, who he gradually ends up falling in love with. All of this is done in a lively way making you care about the characters and the events they are going through. The movie manages to weave a warm narrative filled with bits of pleasant comedy and drama.
The performances from the main cast are enjoyable to watch and the chemistry between Cooper and Dakota allows for both smile and sentiment. Probably the biggest weakness here is that the movie opens more doors than it can close which makes you wonder about the overall purpose. The reason why I decided to watch the film is because of its narrative's similarity with CODA and Peanut Butter Falcon. While it didn't leave the same impact, Cha Cha Real Smooth achieved its objective of being a pure and heartfelt feel good movie.
Movies.shmovies on Instagram for honest movie and TV Show reviews.
Fun gem hidden between blockbusters. Worth a look
adamnacci19 June 2022
There is a good bit of sarcastic comedy and wittiness. Honestly starts out a little clunky but I think it's intentional. Great story well acted in unique style by the lead. It's always fun to see a film truly evolve as the characters do and I think that's what you get here as the main actor is also the director and writer. Just a good movie that touches each emotion sometimes in unique and engaging ways.
A nice if familiar indie comedy
eddie_baggins25 September 2022
Purchased by Apple for their streaming service after a significant showing at the Sundance Film Festival this year, where it won the audience award for U. S Dramatic Feature and also was nominated for the coveted Grand Jury Prize, writer/director/star Cooper Raiff's breakout effort is very much a feel good film that feels eerily similar to such ventures like Garden State or Little Miss Sunshine, making it a pleasant experience without being much of a must-watch.
Following the exploits of the aimless Andrew (played by Raiff), in his early 20's without much in the way of plan or ambition, Cha Cha Real Smooth explores his ventures into the world of being a Bar Mitzvah party host, a new role that will lead him to a life changing relationship with Dakota Johnson's breezy Domino and her autistic teen daughter Lola (a nice turn from Vanessa Burghardt, stealing many of the films biggest laughs).
It's a familiar set-up and one that never tries to reinvent the age-old American indie quirky rom-com dramedy rulebook and while it's nice not everything that happens in Cha Cha leads to the outcomes one might expect, Raiff does struggle to give his critically noted film the wow factor that would've made it really leap out at the audience with a major hold-back also coming in the fact the writer and director decided to cast himself in the lead role.
While not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, based off this effort one must ask the question of Raiff being the most suitable performer to bring Andrew too life and while he tries in earnest to have the same easy going charisma and awkwardness as say a Zach Braff or John Krasinski, Raiff struggles to really make us fall in love with Andrew and his slightly off the boil performance makes it hard to believe someone like Domino would begin to have feelings for such an aimless and robotic figure.
Proving once more that it's not always best to direct oneself in a role designed as a star vehicle, it's easy to see how much more notable and above average Cha Cha may have been had it managed to really make the character of Andrew come alive on screen and while the film is always easily digestible and handles a few heavy subjects with smarts and sensibilities, it's hard to find too much of note in this adequate if note entirely earnest affair.
Final Say -
There are laughs and dramatic beats at play here that ensure Cha Cha Real Smooth is more than watchable but Cooper Raiff's festival darling never does enough to warrant the hype with hope the director can move onto more of a prominent role behind the camera rather than in front of it from now on out.
3 inappropriate song choices out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
Following the exploits of the aimless Andrew (played by Raiff), in his early 20's without much in the way of plan or ambition, Cha Cha Real Smooth explores his ventures into the world of being a Bar Mitzvah party host, a new role that will lead him to a life changing relationship with Dakota Johnson's breezy Domino and her autistic teen daughter Lola (a nice turn from Vanessa Burghardt, stealing many of the films biggest laughs).
It's a familiar set-up and one that never tries to reinvent the age-old American indie quirky rom-com dramedy rulebook and while it's nice not everything that happens in Cha Cha leads to the outcomes one might expect, Raiff does struggle to give his critically noted film the wow factor that would've made it really leap out at the audience with a major hold-back also coming in the fact the writer and director decided to cast himself in the lead role.
While not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, based off this effort one must ask the question of Raiff being the most suitable performer to bring Andrew too life and while he tries in earnest to have the same easy going charisma and awkwardness as say a Zach Braff or John Krasinski, Raiff struggles to really make us fall in love with Andrew and his slightly off the boil performance makes it hard to believe someone like Domino would begin to have feelings for such an aimless and robotic figure.
Proving once more that it's not always best to direct oneself in a role designed as a star vehicle, it's easy to see how much more notable and above average Cha Cha may have been had it managed to really make the character of Andrew come alive on screen and while the film is always easily digestible and handles a few heavy subjects with smarts and sensibilities, it's hard to find too much of note in this adequate if note entirely earnest affair.
Final Say -
There are laughs and dramatic beats at play here that ensure Cha Cha Real Smooth is more than watchable but Cooper Raiff's festival darling never does enough to warrant the hype with hope the director can move onto more of a prominent role behind the camera rather than in front of it from now on out.
3 inappropriate song choices out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
Have you ever got a warm hug from a movie?
raudafitriani26 June 2022
I wasn't expecting anything when I watched this movie but turns out I just got a big warm hug from it. Cha Cha Real Smooth is the pure heartfelt, sincere, and heartwarming I have ever felt from watching a movie this year. It's a bittersweet coming-of-age movie about a 22-year-old Andrew (Cooper Raiff), fresh out of college and stuck at his home without a clear path forward, he begins working as a party starter where he strikes up a friendship with a young mom (Dakota Johnson) and her teenage daughter.
You will never walk out the same after watching this movie and that's what I liked about it. Cooper Raiff is such a talented and gifted director, what makes him different from most of the directors is how he is genuinely capable of being related to the audience on a personal level. He is engaging not only how the way he directed it but also in how he writes it, and to add, played the character. The story is what I needed right now, the dialogues are just simply beautiful and touching. (Mind me, I also just got fresh out from the college lol)
Dakota Johnson's performance as a supporting actress is breathtaking and their chemistry is absolutely striking. I almost feel like the entire time of the movie they just let the eyes do the speaking, and it's working. My memories aren't going anywhere, especially for this movie. I can't wait to see more of Cooper Raiff's work in the future. Definitely a must-see.
You will never walk out the same after watching this movie and that's what I liked about it. Cooper Raiff is such a talented and gifted director, what makes him different from most of the directors is how he is genuinely capable of being related to the audience on a personal level. He is engaging not only how the way he directed it but also in how he writes it, and to add, played the character. The story is what I needed right now, the dialogues are just simply beautiful and touching. (Mind me, I also just got fresh out from the college lol)
Dakota Johnson's performance as a supporting actress is breathtaking and their chemistry is absolutely striking. I almost feel like the entire time of the movie they just let the eyes do the speaking, and it's working. My memories aren't going anywhere, especially for this movie. I can't wait to see more of Cooper Raiff's work in the future. Definitely a must-see.
Dreamlike rather than reality
Graham_Ivan26 June 2022
So the main guy, Andrew (Mr. Raif) is, in real-life terms, a calm and wise 38-year-old character presented as a 22-year-old.
This lays the ground work for a very surreal confluence of relationships between an autistic daughter of the beautiful thirtysomething-year-old Bella, her autistic daughter who can relate to most people, but 22-year old Andrew seems to have a knack for dealing with Austistic female young woman?
It then meanders along, trying to make a plot out of the the characters, but with no real plot.
The sets, characters, clothes and dialogues of this series make it very vague. 1990s or present.
I think this series has come out of a poetic feeling rather than a solid premise.
It's not enlightening, or even educational, but still thought provokingt and quite watchable.
Just don't get put off by some of the lazy script writing.
This lays the ground work for a very surreal confluence of relationships between an autistic daughter of the beautiful thirtysomething-year-old Bella, her autistic daughter who can relate to most people, but 22-year old Andrew seems to have a knack for dealing with Austistic female young woman?
It then meanders along, trying to make a plot out of the the characters, but with no real plot.
The sets, characters, clothes and dialogues of this series make it very vague. 1990s or present.
I think this series has come out of a poetic feeling rather than a solid premise.
It's not enlightening, or even educational, but still thought provokingt and quite watchable.
Just don't get put off by some of the lazy script writing.
Beautiful and heartwarming
TiCor7818 June 2022
This is such a beautiful and heartwarming story!
It was a joy to see how the relationships between all the different characters developed.
It made me smile, made me laugh out loud and made me tear up... It is cheesy at times, but that didn't bother me a bit.
I'm a sucker for these kind of movies. 🤷♂️ That chemistry between Dakota Johnson and Cooper Raiff...Wow!
Great performances by all.
8,5/10.
It was a joy to see how the relationships between all the different characters developed.
It made me smile, made me laugh out loud and made me tear up... It is cheesy at times, but that didn't bother me a bit.
I'm a sucker for these kind of movies. 🤷♂️ That chemistry between Dakota Johnson and Cooper Raiff...Wow!
Great performances by all.
8,5/10.
Enjoyable and oddly uplifting
cricketbat6 March 2023
Cha Cha Real Smooth feels like a Sundance movie. It's quirky with a little bit of a dark side, and it's a little rough around the edges. It's got heart, though. At first I was wondering how Cooper Raiff landed the lead role in this film, but then when I realized he wrote and directed it, it made sense. He did a good job, though. His character grew on me after a while. I'm curious how much range he has and how close this part was to who he is in real life. I was conflicted about some of the storylines, and they left a few plot points hanging, but overall I found this to be enjoyable & oddly uplifting.
Good intentioned naiveté
Naive-fox3 July 2022
'Cha Cha Real Smooth' is a sweet, heart-warming everyday story... from an alternate universe. Copper Raiff is so focused on getting his feel good movie done no matter what that he forgets to make any of its characters belieavable. From the incredibly unrealistic dialogues to the behaviour of every character in the film, the whole ordeal feels like a Disney movie that's been stripped of any conflict or villain, leaving a bleak film that can not even display its message properly through an ensemble of such artificial characters. Even the portrayal of autism is so off it kills the whole purpose of the movie.
Yes, if you can keep your head above the ocean of honey and syrup you can still see Copper's intention and even catch a glimpse of some decent directing here and there and a movie with a bigger production value that most of its kind, but eventualy you get engulfed by the stickiness of its atmosphere and every little praisable detail is taken from your field of view hidden under an overly mellow canvas.
Yes, if you can keep your head above the ocean of honey and syrup you can still see Copper's intention and even catch a glimpse of some decent directing here and there and a movie with a bigger production value that most of its kind, but eventualy you get engulfed by the stickiness of its atmosphere and every little praisable detail is taken from your field of view hidden under an overly mellow canvas.
Likeable, almost to a flaw
jtindahouse14 February 2023
I watch a lot of dark and gritty films. They make up 90% of the films I watch. So I actually quite enjoy mixing it up with these feel good films like 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' now and then. This film wasn't without its flaws, but it did succeed in its quest to be very endearing.
When I learnt that the star of the film Cooper Raiff was also the writer/director I was mildly shocked. It's a remarkably mature film for someone in their early 20s to make. Then I realised the flaw with the film however. Everything is a little too perfect. Everything seems like it is intended to make his character of Andrew seem like the most likeable person in the world - to an unrealistic extent.
For a large portion of the film there isn't even much conflict. The bulk of the film really does just feel like scene after scene designed to sell Andrew as a person to the audience. There is some conflict later in the movie, and the movie instantly improves for having it. A little more could've gone a long way.
I did enjoy this film though and I think the positives it has outweigh the negatives. 7/10.
When I learnt that the star of the film Cooper Raiff was also the writer/director I was mildly shocked. It's a remarkably mature film for someone in their early 20s to make. Then I realised the flaw with the film however. Everything is a little too perfect. Everything seems like it is intended to make his character of Andrew seem like the most likeable person in the world - to an unrealistic extent.
For a large portion of the film there isn't even much conflict. The bulk of the film really does just feel like scene after scene designed to sell Andrew as a person to the audience. There is some conflict later in the movie, and the movie instantly improves for having it. A little more could've gone a long way.
I did enjoy this film though and I think the positives it has outweigh the negatives. 7/10.
This Comedy is such a Drama
GusherPop18 June 2022
As writer, director, producer, and star, Cooper Raiff has created what looks like your typically quirky indie dramedy with "Cha Cha Real Smooth." And his sophomore feature does indeed include some familiar elements, including young adults stuck in a state of arrested development and kids who articulate their emotions with a wisdom beyond their years. But Raiff offers some impressive tonal mixtures and narrative surprises along the way, and even though his third act sags a bit, the performances-particularly from an achingly melancholy Dakota Johnson- remain compelling until the end. Just the fact that he's only 25 years old and he's making movies with this level of stealthy complexity is exciting. Raiff stars as Andrew, a recent graduate of Tulane University whose main goal is to earn enough money to follow his girlfriend to Barcelona. He's mostly aimless, scraping funds together by living at home in suburban New Jersey, and working at a mall food court restaurant with the awesomely terrible name of Meat Sticks. But he stumbles into an actual job as a party-starter on the local bar and bat mitzvah circuit, urging awkward adolescents and their slightly inebriated parents to get on the dance floor and do the Electric Slide. Raiff and his production design team clearly had a ball coming up with the specific details for all these themed events, and the way he captures the nervous energy of this youthful time of flux will make you shudder in recognition. "Cha Cha Real Smooth" follows these unexpected relationships as they develop and provide Andrew with some much-needed purpose. Raiff and Johnson have an easy, teasing chemistry with each other; the authenticity of their conversations and the intimate way they're shot frequently make you feel as if you're eavesdropping on them. Domino is damaged and she doesn't always make good choices, but the fact that Raiff's script doesn't deify her makes her so much more interesting. But Raiff's ambition to break free from sentimental formula and forge a path of his own is clear, making him an exciting young filmmaker to watch.
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