FilmSnobReviews

Title: Cha Char Real Smooth
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Cooper Raiff
Starring: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

What It Is: Andrew (Raiff) is a kind of a screw-up. He can’t seem to get anything right and his long-time girlfriend Maya (Amara Pedroso) has gone overseas to “study”. Now Andrew is back at home living with his mother (Leslie Mann) and step-dad (Brad Garrett). He’s proving to be the life of every barmitzah he’s attending. He begins a side business…on top of his lucrative work in the food industry, as a party starter. When he meets the somewhat enigmatic Domino (Johnson) the two spark up something of a friendship. But as is often the case feelings get in the way.

What We Think: This might be not only my favorite film of Sundance but my front runner for the best film of the year. I am an unabashed romantic and this film is all the right ways of romantic. Raiff and Johnson have excellent chemistry together and really that’s where this movie could’ve been made or broken. As it stands they’re a real strength. Raiffs script is strong and sensical. Funny moments are strewn through making the 107 minutes seemingly flyby. Making you want to see it all over again. It’s that character likeability and structural rewatchability that make this one of the finest things my eyeballs have witnessed in 2022.

Our Grade: A, See this when it comes out. AppleTV+ just bought it so it’ll be around your TV’s soon enough. This is a modern romantic comedy that is all the best parts of bittersweet, endearing and completely worth your time. Dakota Johnson is ON A ROLL and Cooper Raiff with this film alongside Shithouse is having himself a time. If you’re not a AppleTV+ subscriber you’re missing out between this coming out and last years CODA the Cupertino based tech giant is bringing it’s A-game to the streaming platforms.