Cha Cha Real Smooth
Cha Cha Real Smooth
Starring Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt
Directed by Cooper Raiff
Starring Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt
Directed by Cooper Raiff
More times than not, when you hear one person wrote, directed, and starred in their own film, it's usually because there's terrible budget constraints or no one believed in the project, and the film turns out to be an absolute bust, or you're literally Woody Allen. Very few people (outside of Allen) can accomplish this feat, and 2022 so far has seen two people who have done it: B.J. Novak's "Vengeance," and Cooper Raiff's "Cha Cha Real Smooth" - two films that were wholly original and unique, and who both delivered the goods when it came to powerful storytelling and compelling characters.
Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is a 22-year-old recent college graduate who doesn't really have a clue what to do with his life, and works at a dead-end fast-food place in the local mall, and lives with his younger brother David (Evan Assante), mother Lisa (Leslie Mann) and stepfather Greg (Brad Garrett). He takes David to several bat mizvahs where his goofy, personable personality shines through as he gets people to let loose and have a good time, including 32-year-old single mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Andrew's personality draws the attention of other mothers, and he's hired to serve as a "party starter" for other bat mitzvahs, and he becomes fast friends with both Domino and Lola. As he develops feelings for Domino, she tells him that she has a fiancee, but it doesn't stop him from interacting with the family and serving as Lola's babysitter, where the two form a tight-knit bond and Domino is shocked to see Lola opening up to him. As the two spend more time together, Andrew wonders why Domino seemingly wants to marry a man that she doesn't seem to love, and she opens up to him about her depression and past hurts, and while his charisma has taken him a long way, Andrew also has to learn how to grow up and see the world for what it really is.
"Cha Cha Real Smooth" falls under the generic category of "indy dramedy," but it's so much more than that. It's a heavily layered narrative story that focuses not just on your supposed ideas of love, but goes deeper into those feelings and points out that, while it doesn't seem like on the outside you're in love with someone, it doesn't mean it's not there. There's several sub-stories that take place within the confines of the main one, and while the ball gets dropped a couple times (especially near the end), each story has its charms and personality to them, all helmed by the amazing talent of up-and-coming twenty-five-year-old Cooper Raiff.
The main focus of the film centers around Andrew and Domino's unique relationship, and both Raiff and Dakota Johnson pull off their flirtatious natures perfectly, showcasing instant chemistry despite their age difference. Raiff's doe-eyed awe-shucks demeanor is infectious and he's just so darn lovable you can't help but root for him and want to be his best friend. Raiff shows Andrew's age in his immaturity, but not in a way that's detrimental to his personality, as he is literally the life of any party, going out of his way to embarrass himself as long as it gets people laughing and having a good time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dakota Johnson's Domino is often sour and reflective, a woman who shows her age as she struggles with handling an autistic daughter - but not in the way you'd expect from seeing other films like this. Rather than feeling pity or anger toward her, Domino showcases extreme love for her child and protects her at all cost, even at keeping Andrew at arms length until Lola opens up to him herself. She also seems to be in a loveless relationship, but some couples show love differently, and that's something Andrew doesn't quite comprehend, despite Domino's continued flirting with him. Dakota Johnson has had a bad rap in the Hollywood industry after exploding on the screen with the God-awful "Fifty Shades of Grey" films, but since then she's really showcased her acting talents in top-notch films like "Bad Times at the El Royale," "The Peanut Butter Falcon," and "The Lost Daughter," and here she once again shows dominance in her acting ability alongside the highly capable newcomer Raiff.
Yet the surprise of the film comes with Andrew's relationship with Domino's daughter Lola. Lola has autism and it's difficult for her to open up to new people, and to fit in with the crowd. She's often bullied by other kids at the parties, but instead of coming to her defense out of pity, Andrew does it out of wanting to be pals with Lola, and she sees that - even inviting him to see her cherished hamster. In her first role, Vanessa Burghardt (who's also on the spectrum) steals the show and proves that no handicap can keep an actor from performing a pitch-perfect performance, and it's her relationship with Raiff's Andrew that's the heart of the movie.
Then there's Andrew's brother David, who is nervous about having a girlfriend and having his first kiss, turning to Andrew for guidance. While he doesn't give the best advice, you can tell the sincerity is there, and the sibling comradere between Raiff and Evan Assante is as natural as Raiff's work with Johnson is. Other stories - like Andrew's quest to find a new job, his mother's bipolar disorder (which is mentioned but never shown), and his tense relationship with his stepfather - fall by the wayside in favor of these other stories, which is just one of those things that happens with an overly ambitious newcomer - something that's easily forgivable due to the powerful stories being told.
If you can sense a tend, it's that Andrew is involved in everything that happens in the film, and there's not one scene that Cooper Raiff isn't in. This could be a good or bad thing for the viewer depending on if they find his quirky charm annoying or endearing - for me, it was definitely endearing, so I didn't mind his over-exposure. By writing a powerful story, directing it in a way that would make Scorsese proud, and dominating the screen, Raiff proves to be a triple threat as his young career is just taking off, leaving room for vast improvement and making him an even more powerful force in the Hollywood world for years to come.
The Score: A+
Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is a 22-year-old recent college graduate who doesn't really have a clue what to do with his life, and works at a dead-end fast-food place in the local mall, and lives with his younger brother David (Evan Assante), mother Lisa (Leslie Mann) and stepfather Greg (Brad Garrett). He takes David to several bat mizvahs where his goofy, personable personality shines through as he gets people to let loose and have a good time, including 32-year-old single mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Andrew's personality draws the attention of other mothers, and he's hired to serve as a "party starter" for other bat mitzvahs, and he becomes fast friends with both Domino and Lola. As he develops feelings for Domino, she tells him that she has a fiancee, but it doesn't stop him from interacting with the family and serving as Lola's babysitter, where the two form a tight-knit bond and Domino is shocked to see Lola opening up to him. As the two spend more time together, Andrew wonders why Domino seemingly wants to marry a man that she doesn't seem to love, and she opens up to him about her depression and past hurts, and while his charisma has taken him a long way, Andrew also has to learn how to grow up and see the world for what it really is.
"Cha Cha Real Smooth" falls under the generic category of "indy dramedy," but it's so much more than that. It's a heavily layered narrative story that focuses not just on your supposed ideas of love, but goes deeper into those feelings and points out that, while it doesn't seem like on the outside you're in love with someone, it doesn't mean it's not there. There's several sub-stories that take place within the confines of the main one, and while the ball gets dropped a couple times (especially near the end), each story has its charms and personality to them, all helmed by the amazing talent of up-and-coming twenty-five-year-old Cooper Raiff.
The main focus of the film centers around Andrew and Domino's unique relationship, and both Raiff and Dakota Johnson pull off their flirtatious natures perfectly, showcasing instant chemistry despite their age difference. Raiff's doe-eyed awe-shucks demeanor is infectious and he's just so darn lovable you can't help but root for him and want to be his best friend. Raiff shows Andrew's age in his immaturity, but not in a way that's detrimental to his personality, as he is literally the life of any party, going out of his way to embarrass himself as long as it gets people laughing and having a good time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dakota Johnson's Domino is often sour and reflective, a woman who shows her age as she struggles with handling an autistic daughter - but not in the way you'd expect from seeing other films like this. Rather than feeling pity or anger toward her, Domino showcases extreme love for her child and protects her at all cost, even at keeping Andrew at arms length until Lola opens up to him herself. She also seems to be in a loveless relationship, but some couples show love differently, and that's something Andrew doesn't quite comprehend, despite Domino's continued flirting with him. Dakota Johnson has had a bad rap in the Hollywood industry after exploding on the screen with the God-awful "Fifty Shades of Grey" films, but since then she's really showcased her acting talents in top-notch films like "Bad Times at the El Royale," "The Peanut Butter Falcon," and "The Lost Daughter," and here she once again shows dominance in her acting ability alongside the highly capable newcomer Raiff.
Yet the surprise of the film comes with Andrew's relationship with Domino's daughter Lola. Lola has autism and it's difficult for her to open up to new people, and to fit in with the crowd. She's often bullied by other kids at the parties, but instead of coming to her defense out of pity, Andrew does it out of wanting to be pals with Lola, and she sees that - even inviting him to see her cherished hamster. In her first role, Vanessa Burghardt (who's also on the spectrum) steals the show and proves that no handicap can keep an actor from performing a pitch-perfect performance, and it's her relationship with Raiff's Andrew that's the heart of the movie.
Then there's Andrew's brother David, who is nervous about having a girlfriend and having his first kiss, turning to Andrew for guidance. While he doesn't give the best advice, you can tell the sincerity is there, and the sibling comradere between Raiff and Evan Assante is as natural as Raiff's work with Johnson is. Other stories - like Andrew's quest to find a new job, his mother's bipolar disorder (which is mentioned but never shown), and his tense relationship with his stepfather - fall by the wayside in favor of these other stories, which is just one of those things that happens with an overly ambitious newcomer - something that's easily forgivable due to the powerful stories being told.
If you can sense a tend, it's that Andrew is involved in everything that happens in the film, and there's not one scene that Cooper Raiff isn't in. This could be a good or bad thing for the viewer depending on if they find his quirky charm annoying or endearing - for me, it was definitely endearing, so I didn't mind his over-exposure. By writing a powerful story, directing it in a way that would make Scorsese proud, and dominating the screen, Raiff proves to be a triple threat as his young career is just taking off, leaving room for vast improvement and making him an even more powerful force in the Hollywood world for years to come.
The Score: A+
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