Dakota Johnson appears in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH by Cooper Raiff, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
For some, leading with an open heart is the only way to live, even if it opens you up to a world of pain. This is what we first see in 12-year-old Andrew at a bar mitzvah. While most are on the dance floor celebrating an entry into manhood, he has an eye on the captivating older emcee presiding over the festivities (a joyous cameo from Saint Frances writer/star Kelly O’Sullivan). He really notices her, not just as hype woman to these burgeoning youths but also in the quiet moments when she ducks away to cry in the stairwell. Her vulnerability only makes her a more three-dimensional being to young Andrew. He is convinced he loves her, and, despite her delicate handling of the situation, Andrew is crushed when he is ultimately rejected.
Ten years later, Andrew (writer/director Cooper Raiff) is freshly out of college and unsure of what he wants to do with his life. His girlfriend is spending the summer in Barcelona, and following her there seems like as good of a plan as any. In the meantime, he returns to his native New Jersey to save up money working in the mall food court while moving back in with his mom (Leslie Mann) and stepdad (Brad Garrett). Andrew has a lovely, open relationship with his mother, but his feelings are a bit more antagonistic when it comes to her husband. When Andrew gets recruited to accompany his younger brother, David (Evan Assante), to a bat mitzvah, the adrift graduate uses his natural inclination to rally for a good time to transform a low-energy celebration the young-adult equivalent of a barn burner. Charming enough to impress the Jewish mothers in attendance, Andrew soon finds himself running an unexpected business as he services the bar mitzvah circuit.
A new professional calling is not the only thing he finds at this initial celebration. He also meets young mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her impossibly charming autistic daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Domino is the subject of some parental gossip from the moment she walks through the door, while Lola is much more intrigued by her giant cube puzzle than getting on the dance floor. The idealistic Andrew cuts through any impediments (bribery may or may not be involved) and coaxes Lola onto the dance floor, quickly earning him the affection of her mother. Throughout all of this, it is clear that Andrew is genuine in his interactions with others. You can trace the lines from Andrew’s penchant for loving quickly and deeply to his mother’s bipolar disorder, one of the few plot points that could have been expanded just slightly more. Andrew is enamored with Lola, and Domino is the complex woman who captures his heart in a different way.
If it sounds like Cooper Raiff is traveling down the uneven road of white male self-actualization in his sophomore feature, the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. Compared to many in this subgenre of coming-of-age films, Raiff takes great care to give his supporting cast substance within their characters. Most notably, despite having a name that only the coolest people could pull off, Domino is far from a manic pixie dream girl. She is a woman who is tangled within her relationships. She holds on to pain from a previous failed marriage, and the future with her fiancé (Raúl Castillo) seems more uncertain every time she is around Andrew. She also loves Lola, but being a young mother means not getting to really soak in the period when new experiences are coming unabated.
With more celebrations of adulthood, comes further chances for Andrew, Domino, and Lola to bond even further. Compared to the adults in her life, Lola is much more clear and direct about what she wants. Andrew treats her like a three-dimensional person, and with that simple, thoughtful approach he gains her trust. Andrew becomes someone who Domino can trust enough to take care of her daughter when she needs a night out. The scenes between Andrew and Lola are among the best in the film, not just due to Burghardt giving one of the best youth performances in some time. Each enrich the lives of the other without venturing into cloying territory. The only real “lesson” that Lola teaches the energetic Andrew is to be comfortable sitting alone with his thoughts, not exactly the work of a “wise beyond their years” child.
While Domino is given a lot to work with on the page, Dakota Johnson really shows why she is one the most exciting actresses working today. The effortless way in which she oscillates between playful banter and heartwrenching vulnerability allows the character to never crack her veneer of authenticity. A precious moment concerning the nature of soulmates serves as the cozy preamble to a larger conversation about depression and regret. These are opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, but the necessity to have each of these moments ring true is undeniable, and these two do not falter.
It is easy to become a crowdpleaser by giving the audience what they want, but it is a much more delicate tightrope when you give them what they need. It is all too rare to find a coming-of-age tale that not only earns its emotional payoff, but does so while providing parallel arcs. Not only do Andrew and Domino emerge from this narrative anew, but there is also a whole beautiful world within Andrew’s family. Raiff and Mann convey an easy shorthand of a mother and son who have been through enough together to intrinsically know one another. Garrett holds sturdy as Andrew shows off some of his most unappealing aspects, understanding what Andrew needs in the moment. The most prominent arc involves an ongoing lesson to David on how to secure the perfect first kiss. Andrew is not always the perfect older brother, but to be so would drive the character into a saintly territory that would cheapen the experience.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is a film that wants to nurture your gentle heart. It wants you to know it is okay to believe in soulmates. Yet, that never stops it from challenging you to expand what exactly that means to you. Cooper Raiff has presented a story with an aching vulnerability and earnestness that some will not be able to handle, but for those who live to experience dynamic depictions of the human experience, this will go down as one of the most rewarding experiences of the entire year.
Cha Cha Real Smooth had its World Premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of Sundance Film Festival 2022.
Director: Cooper Raiff
Writer: Cooper Raiff
Rated: NR
Runtime: 107m
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
