SIFF 2022 Review: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” Brings All the Tears and Laughter to a Heartfelt Coming-of-Age Story

Even before the first frame of Cha Cha Real Smooth appears on screen, writer/director/star Cooper Raiff immediately identifies the time and tone of this film. The use of Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On” doesn’t just bring about memories of a young Andrew (played by Raiff) dancing at bar mitzvahs in the early 2010s. For many current 10-12-year-olds, this might would signal a very specific period in life where they are dealing with the early onset of puberty, romantic feelings, discovering their personality, etc. In other words, every complicated and contradictory feeling of “coming of age.”

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Rohan Patel’s Top 10 Films of 2021

A year of recovery? As I close the chapter of 2021, I look back to about this time last year with some pessimism. As the news of a vaccine broke, surely, I hoped, the theatrical experience I loved would return with a glorious triumph. But with vaccination skepticism and new variants came yet another glimpse at the possible future of cinema. One where, as of this writing, 6/10 projected best picture nominees had a wide release via a streaming platform. In a year stacked with old 2020 and scheduled 2021 releases, what happened that caused major films from major filmmakers with major actors, like The Last Duel and West Side Story, to bomb at the box office? It may be that the traditional 40-65-year-old demographics that go to the movies felt unsafe in a dark, enclosed space during a raging pandemic. It may be that people are generally willing to wait longer for cheaper prices of VOD. It may just be people don’t hold movies at the center of their pop-culture diet anymore.

Yet…

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