Cha Cha Real Smooth
★ ★★★
Even though I haven't seen his first feature, Cooper Raiff is a director who has a style that I'm naturally drawn to. It made sense that he has a major connection to Jay Duplass because Cha Cha Real Smooth reminded me of the same awkward humor and charm of the Duplass brothers. This story is rooted in realism and has similarities to the Graduate in the way that it showcases a twenty-something struggling to find his place in adulthood.
It's often said that a person is the hero of their own narrative, and Raiff has constructed a character that is fallible, but lovable. Maybe his character is so charming that it's unrealistic, but his story is chock-full of human connection. As the audience, you root for the desired outcome that Andrew (Raiff) wishes for and the screenplay does a great job of presenting a realistic conclusion that is unexpected, but makes total sense when pulled into focus.
I've never been a huge Dakota Johnson fan, but Raiff is able to highlight her mysterious qualities in a way that makes you just as curious about her backstory as Andrew is. I can see how some people might not be as taken with this simple story as I was, but I absolutely love dramedies that are character focused like this one. Cha Cha Real Smooth immediately made me a Cooper Raiff fan and I'll see whatever he makes next.
