 |
| We know what's best; trust us |
The basic premise is that, at this privileged, northeastern
college, a group of arrogant, critical girls think they can mold and shape the
un-evolved men on campus into versions the girls approve of. To them, theirs
are the definitive opinions. They run a suicide prevention group on campus,
with their chief therapy consisting of having the clinically depressed perform
dance numbers. Honestly. I think it’s supposed to be funny.
Greta Gerwig (Greenberg,
Hannah Takes the Stairs) is the leader of the group. She finds men who are
too smart, good looking or self confident less attractive. She hopes to create
a new dance craze, seeing it as a significant cultural contribution to society.
To her, Neanderthal frat guys can be redeemed through better-scented soap. One
of her minions is constantly on the lookout for “playboys and operators.” So
much so I never want to hear that phrase ever again.
Into their tight-knit group comes a new member, Lilly
(Analeigh Tipton; Warm Bodies, Crazy Stupid
Love), who reacts to their judgmental condescension with appropriate
incredulity and criticism. No matter. The girls in the group are supremely
confident in their beliefs. They than Lilly for her insight, then instantly
dismiss it.
There is a storyline involving a boy (Adam Brody) Gerwig develops
feelings for. However, it felt as false an arbitrary as the rest of the film. Scenes
start and end in the middle, with the beginnings and ends cut out. The
characters don't feel like actual humans, but instead hyper-exaggerated talking
stereotypes. The naïve, sheltered girl is unbelievably so. The dumb guys are
dumber than possible. They don’t talk as much as they deliver a writer’s too-clever
ideas an insights delivered as soliloquys.
I was happy to see a couple of actors I really enjoy in
minor roles: the awkward and wryly brilliant Zach Woods (In the Loop, HBO’s Veep
and Silicon Valley), as well as Jermaine Crawford, who played “Dukie” on the Wire.
Mostly, the entire film felt like a series of quirky inside
jokes that I wasn’t in on.
Damsels in Distress is
the first Whit Stillman film I’ve seen. It didn’t inspire me to see more.
No comments:
Post a Comment