TMS Movie Review: Cha Cha Real Smooth
(Picturestart / AppleTV)
I try not to get my hopes up too often with this sort of thing, but I think maybe—finally—the romantic comedy genre is potentially making a return to modern cinema. Romcoms are my favorite type of movie, so I was extra bummed when we reached the point where not only did the genre’s output decline by the 2010s; but so did the quality, as seen in the low-budget romcoms getting churned out on streaming and TV. But with the recent success of PT Anderson’s Licorice Pizza (2021) and Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World (2021), and Cooper Raiff’s Cha Cha Real Smooth [now in select theaters and on AppleTV]; I feel like we could be turning a new leaf.
In a Jewish community of suburban Pittsburgh, PA, Andrew (Raiff) is a college graduate who hates his job at a hot dog joint. But he’s suddenly convinced to be a regularly hired hype man at local parties and events, mostly Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. During this new, fun gig, Andrew meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), who’s a decade older than him and already has a teenage daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt); who in return attends the same school as Andrew’s younger brother David (Evan Assante). Though Andrew instantly hits it off with both Domino and Lola, there’s one problem: Domino’s already engaged to businessman Joseph (Raúl Castillo). Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett play Andrew’s supportive mom and buzzkill stepdad, while Odeya Rush appears as Andrew’s pretty former classmate and occasional fling.
(Picturestart / AppleTV)
My impression halfway through viewing Cha Cha Real Smooth was that Raiff must have watched Frank Coraci’s The Wedding Singer (1998) before writing his own screenplay. So many story and character elements mirror the retro cult classic from 24 years ago. Only this time the setting is contemporary, the waitress is a single mom of an autistic teenager, and the Adam Sandler-isms are replaced with Raiff’s brand of humor and indie film sentiments. As much as I’m a longtime fan of The Wedding Singer, Cha Cha Real Smooth does improve on the ending as well [or at least offer a more realistic take]. This is Raiff’s second film and modest hit at only 24, following his debut with the college comedy Sh*thouse (2020). Already the writer-director-actor shows a lot of promise for future endeavors and could be legitimate staple in independent filmmaking.
Although Johnson is a little young to be playing the mother of a high schooler, this is at least acknowledged somewhat jokingly near the beginning of Real Smooth. Raiff and Johnson work off each other nicely on screen, as does Burghardt opposite both older actors in her first acting role. Despite some minor issues I had with the execution [why were so many scenes shot with ridiculously low lighting?], Cha Cha Real Smooth is a nice return to form for romantic comedies; and a possible career ahead for Raiff. Also, for those wondering about the title—yes, Mr. C’s “Cha-Cha Slide” does play during one of the party scenes.