Movie Review: 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' is One of My Favorite Movies This Year'

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a sweet, smart and insightful comedy about what makes us, us. It’s a film about learning about yourself, knowing yourself, and understanding yourself and others. That’s a rather broad idea but under the clever and caring direction of Cooper Raiff it never feels broad, it feels specific to the terrific characters that he and his remarkable cast have created. It’s a lived in and warm and curious story with a wealth of empathy and a dollop of heartache.

Cooper Raiff wrote, directs and stars in Cha Cha Real Smooth as Andrew, an underachieving recent college graduate. Andrew has hopes and dreams and a romantic soul. He also has no idea who he is or what he really wants to do with his life. What he knows innately however, is how to make other people feel special. As seen throughout a scene set at a bat mitzvah, when Andrew sets his mind to it, he has an instinct for making other people feel included and special.

It’s that quality that stands out when Andrew meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Andrew’s kindness and care for Lola, who is autistic, impresses Domino who herself is in need of his kind of spirited kindness. Meanwhile, Andrew’s instinct for starting the party at this otherwise boring Bat Mitzvah has caught the attention of a group of local Jewish moms who implore him to become their party starter for a series of upcoming Bat Mitzvahs..

Is this a potential career for Andrew? No, no it is not. It’s another way for him to keep drifting along while picking up a couple of bucks. It’s also an excuse to see Domino again as she brings Lola to all of the local Bat Mitzvahs out of an obligation and the hopeful notion that Lola might make friends. Andrew’s talent for party starting is only matched by his ability to find trouble. When he sees a boy making fun of Lola he rushes to help her only to find himself trading insults with the boy’s father and getting himself kicked out of the party.

This is actually fortuitous as nearby, Domino really needs his help. In a scene I won’t detail because you should see it for yourself, Andrew’s kindness and instinct for knowing what to do in a pinch comes through and succeeds in making an impossible situation into one tolerable enough to get through. Each scene like this is like a little breadcrumb revealing to us who Andrew is and who Domino is. Several more of these scenes will unfold with romance, a whole lot of sexual tension, and the complicated, tangled emotions of attraction.

Domino is getting married. Joseph (Raul Castillo), is a lawyer, he’s kind and stable and loves Lola. So why is Domino spending so much time with a 22 year old Andrew? You will need to watch this wonderfully insightful and funny movie to understand the complicated, messy, and beautiful emotions at play. Cha Cha Real Smooth is a vibe, it’s a human, sloppy, sweet and sour romantic comedy that never takes the easy way out and yet somehow still goes down smooth.

Cooper Raiff is a wonderful director, writer and star. He has ridiculous charisma, comic timing, and a strong sense of empathy underneath everything he does. That’s what really stands out for me about Cha Cha Real Smooth, empathy. For Andrew, being kind to people, making them feel included and making people laugh is innate, it’s just who he is. It’s something he just has, likely a trait picked up from his mom, wonderfully played by Leslie Mann. Mom is bipolar and Andrew had to grow up fast to care for her through a number of failed relationships. That said, she was always kind with him and there for him and their bond is what drives Andrew to try with all he has to make other people happy.

Raiff reveals these qualities with care. It’s beautiful to watch. Many young writers try to get themselves over with the audience by writing themselves great scenes. Raiff is generous, never afraid to cede the stage to his wonderful supporting characters. Watch the scenes Raiff shares with the two youngest cast members, Vanessa Burghardt’s Lola, and Evan Assante as David, Andrew’s little brother. He’s so sweet and warm, and the young actors light up in his presence. It’s lovely to see and you can’t help but think that that warmth extends beyond the screen to the making of this movie.

Dakota Johnson is on a roll in picking great scripts. With Our Friend, The Lost Daughter, and this movie, Johnson is establishing herself as an actress who can be a lead or supporting player and bring depth, humor and complex humanity to any role. Her Domino is a whole person even as she’s not the main character of this movie. You’ve likely met a Domino, she feels so real, like that friend you can’t help but love and worry about in equal measure. Domino is the most important character in the movie because as she reveals herself, she reveals more about Andrew and they reveal each other and it grows from the beginning of the story to the end, an arc of growth fueled by desire and by genuine care and empathy.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is sweet, a little sexy, very funny, but above all, warmly, messily human. It’s a must see for everyone. The film debuts on Apple TV on June 17th, 2022.