To take comfort in the conclusions that the new masculinities can reach.
Direction: Cooper Raiff Distribution: Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, Odeya Rush, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo, Cooper Raiff, Phil Nardozzi, Colton Osorio, Corrie Danieley, Kelly O’Sullivan, Brenna Sherman, Vanessa Burghardt, Tiffany Sander McKenzie, Amara Pedroso Country: USA Year: 2022 Gender: Comedy drama Script: Cooper Raiff Photography: Christina Dunlap Synopsis: A young woman who works as a hostess at a Bar Mitzvah party befriends a woman and her autistic daughter.
With the conquest of the Audience Award for Best Film at Sundance, it seems that the American indie has a new figure in Cooper Raiff to cling to. And so it is, but the truth is that one could have bet on this young talent before these awards proved him right. Actor, screenwriter, director, editor and producer who is barely 24 years old: his name, at the moment, only appears in the projects where he himself occupies those positions that, in principle, assure him direct control (and decisive, of course) about the final product.
Watching a short, series or feature film featuring Cooper Raiff is like being in the company of someone who seems to enjoy telling us how life is going. He talks about him, about his people, about his concerns and his longings… about what he knows, that is, what he can hardly be wrong about. However, how could it be otherwise, his alter ego in front of the camera is wrong, time and time again. But luckily, nothing happens: it is normal for him to stumble because at his tender age, he is still learning to run, and even more importantly, his missteps are explained by inexperience, by the horniness of youth, but never by bad faith that, apparently, does not fit in his cinematographic universe.
And this that the lands through which it moves, unfortunately are subscribed to this ill will; by hurting who you say you love. It is the dark side of love stories, an evil that Raiff drives away with the purity of someone who passes through this world without understanding why we should hold a grudge against anyone. The boy, like everyone in his “twenties”, is lost; He does not know where to go or why (or for whom) to bet, but he manages it without drama, and again, he is aware that this does not exempt him from attending to the most fundamental duty: to ensure that everyone around him is well .
And that’s how he endears himself: not winking at the viewer, but showing himself -luminously- authentic at all times. It is the charm of that guy with whom you would go out for drinks until the wee hours of the morning, but to whom you could also entrust the care of your children. It seems to come out of one of Judd Apatow’s best films, and like his cinema, ‘Cha Cha Real Slow’ has the ability to know how to naturally hide the writing of a master plan that is never diluted: to offer a light product, but that at the same time is faithful to the complexity of the feelings addressed. It is the rom-com that has achieved supreme happiness, in part because it has been able to detach itself from the distressing burden that the feeling of ownership entails. Because you can love that other person without this having to be “yours”. “It’s not that hard,” Cooper Raiff seems to say, shrugging, dancing, rhyming…and always sporting a radiantly infectious smile.
‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ has won the Audience Award and has been the sensation of the sundance festival 2022.
Other reviews of the Sundance festival 2022:
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
