Cha Cha Real Smooth, I Love That for You, and Ken himself
Youthful and desperate folly, plus Ryan Gosling the doll
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss Cha Cha Real Smooth and I Love That for You, a film and a TV show about adults still trying to figure out adulthood.
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04:24 Cha Cha Real Smooth, streaming on Apple TV+, is an imperfect but endearing snapshot of what it’s like to be young, selfish, and unsure of where to go next in life.
Cha Cha Real Smooth is not as good as Cooper Raiff’s directorial debut Shithouse (previously discussed here), but nor is it as bad as NYT critic Manohla Dargis makes it out to be, at least in our opinion. The biggest question marks surround Domino, Andrew, and Joseph — which is not ideal, since they are the heart of the central conflict. Whether it’s the writing or the casting, these characters are fundamentally unknowable. But still, it’s not a bad movie, by any means. Raiff’s strength as a filmmaker so far lies in the complicated, aimless, emotionally formative morass of coming-of-age: not yet knowing who you are, what you want from the world, and whom or what to latch onto.
21:59 I Love That for You, streaming on Showtime, polishes a conventional plot and archetypal characters into a charming series with humor and heart.
It’s a shame this show seems to be flying under the radar, because it’s a great addition to the TV lineup right now. Take elements from 30 Rock, The Other Two, and even Hacks, and you wind up with something like I Love That for You: a workplace comedy about the behind-the-scenes drama of showbiz, plus some funny character work by largely solid performers. It’s not particularly groundbreaking, but it is good, and it’s nice to see what Bayer can do from under the shadow of SNL.
34:39 Plus, the mysterious Barbie keeps the crowd buzzing with a Ryan Gosling-as-Ken tease.
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Bonus links
Incredible resource alert:
That’s it for now. See you next week!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu