Title:
Damsels In Distress
Director: Whit StillmanReleased: 2011
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Adam Brody, Analeigh Tipton, Carrie MacLemore, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Hugo Becker, Ryan Metcalf, Billy Magnussen, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Jermaine Crawford, Alia Shawkat, Aubrey Plaza, Zach Woods, Taylor Nichols, Carolyn Farina, Meredith Hagner
Plot: Lily (Tipton) a newly transferred
college student is taken under the wing of Violet (Gerwig), Heather (MacLemore)
and Rose (Echikunwoke) who run the campus’ suicide prevention centre, while at
the same time running numerous schemes to try and improve the campus.
Review: Not only the first film I have seen by director Whit
Stillman, it’s also one that I had to watch twice before I sat down to write
this review as my first watch of the film left me with mixed feelings, especially as I knew that there was something
about this film I just couldn’t place what it was.
For Stillman this would be his first film after taking a
thirteen year break after the release of his previous film “The Last Days of Disco”. Here
he appears to have rolled into the same campus that Wes Anderson showed us in
“Rushmore”, which perhaps is the best place to start especially when Violet
could easily be seen as Max’s female counterpart and more so when his film
which seemingly is determined to avoid being any one thing. Not that this a bad
thing as the various parts are certainly interesting enough, it just makes it a
pain in the ass to review.
Despite
looking like a mean girl clique, this group of friends are actually nothing of
the sort as they take their work at the campus’ suicide prevention centre like
a job rather than a volunteer position, as they offer a sympathetic ear as well
as coffee and doughnuts for those in need.
However they don’t stop here as they also date the less attractive men
on campus to help boost their confidence and even attempt to clean up one of
the more unhygienic dorms by giving the gifts of bars of soap. Of course this
is all done in such a surreal style that some of these goals achieved can be
missed out, especially when Stillman chooses to shoot the film in the same
detached style that Terry Zwigoff brought to his “Ghost World" adaptation.
Unquestionably though
its an original vision that Stillman crafts as the girls frequently act like
they belong in the 1940’s while at the same time dancing to 90’s dance music such
Real McCoy’s “Another Night” which Violet delightfully proclaims “A golden
oldie”. Elsewhere the campus fraternities shun the traditional Greek letters in
favour of Roman Letters and one were a random Fred and Ginger inspired dance
routine can be dropped in randomly with little or no effect to the film.
Stillman here like Wes Anderson manages to not only craft this world but more impressively
make it believable without the usual feeling of style over substance. That
being said the actual plot of the film is frustratingly hard to place in
recollection with the film largely consisting of the girls dealing with one
incident on campus to the next, combined with the usual issues of unsuitable
boyfriends and clashes with the school newspaper amusingly titled “The Daily
Complainer” and headed up perfectly by Zach Woods of “Silicon Valley” fame.
Perhaps
because Stillman has assembled such a likable, let alone capable cast who
embody such fun characters we are able to look past such things as the fact we
have spent the last hour and a half essentially watching nothing. That being
said this really is Gerwig’s flm and whose background in Mumblecore perhaps
makes her more capable of adapting to such free flowing material as this. Here
though free of the pretension of that cinematic movement really is able to
shine as the group leader, able to motivate them effortlessly to her vision for
the campus, let alone leading the campus in their newly created dance craze “The
Sambola” which even comes with onscreen directions for wanting to try it for
themselves.
Alas
the film is not without its flaws as Adam Brody whose appearance is usually the
cinematic equivalent of piles and here once more gives us yet another
forgettable performance, which perhaps is only noteworthy for how less smarmy
it is than normal. At the same time his character could easily have been
written out, especially when he serves little purpose ultimately other than to
give Gerwig a dance partner for the finale. True the film features other random
characters who serve to add little to the plot, but none or given that kind of
attention that Brody confusingly receives here.
Certainly
an original film to say the least and one which at the same time will
unquestionably divide opinions, depending on how coherent you like your
storytelling, while the fact that its also a film which is an experience to watch makes it only the harder to review, leaving myself with little to do that recommend you at least give it a watch if anything I mentioned caught your interest, as this is a unique one to say the least.
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