Cha Cha Real Smooth: Manic Pixie Dream Guy
What looks like a film about the Bar Mitzvah culture in New Jersey is actually about the post-academic life of a young man living in his The Graduate era.
Cooper Raiff stars as Andrew, a recent Tulane graduate, whose only goal is to pull together enough money to follow his girlfriend to Barcelona. To attain his Barcelona expedition, he saves money by living in at his family home and working in the mall foodcourt. An actual job comes his way, when his talent for being a party-starter comes in handy in the local bat mitzvah circuit. It is now up to him to get awkward teens on the dance floor for the electric slide. One night during his new gig, he makes a connection with young mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter Lola, who is autistic. His interest in the mother daughter duo highlights his desire to make everyone feel included and are having fun tying into why his DJ job makes sense.
Is Andrew the most complicated character? Not really, he is a simple guy who wears his heart-on-his-sleeve and never really progresses throughout the film. His ability to be consistent allows those around him to grow and learn more about themselves through their interactions. The dynamic with Johnson and Raiff is interesting to watch as he plays this earnest fresh out of college man in contrast to her lived-in, depressive state. The relationship that steals the spotlight is between Andrew and Lola. He treats her as an equal and doesn’t try to come in and save the day. He is genuinely interested in her and it is this bonding that starts a complication and meaningful relatiosnhip with the mother/daughter duo.
The world of Cha Cha Real Smooth feels very romanticized and dreamlike. Even when characters make a mistake they are redeemed and all manage to have sympathy for the world around them. A lot of characters in Andrew’s orbit are never fully developed off the page but he makes up for that through his compelling characterization of Domino and Lola. This outlook on them doesn’t feel consistent with the community they live in, it makes them feel isolated from it all. This film skips cynicism and it is obvious Raiff is going for something light and positive with his sophomore film. It is very reminiscent of early 2000’s manic pixie dream girl films but Raiff’s nice guy Andrew replaces that role.
Overall, the nuanced writing is the strongest aspect of this film mixed with the amazing party production design and memorable playlist that leave you charmed and emotionally invested.
Raiff is a filmmaker to watc