‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Review: Mr. Nice Guy Strikes Again

metroweekly.com:

Shithouse (2020), his debut feature, Raiff portrayed a friendless college freshman who, upon being seduced by his RA, is more interested in helping her give a proper burial to her deceased turtle than in getting laid.Turns out niceness sells.

Few young filmmakers have enjoyed a more sudden rise to prominence this decade. As his origin myth goes, Raiff landed Jay Duplass as a mentor after randomly tweeting at the filmmaker.

Shithouse was shot in two weeks on a microbudget, yet the film’s warmth — particularly its Before Sunrise-esque bonding sequence — transcended the modest aesthetics.The film was a hit at virtual South by Southwest, where it won the grand jury prize, and soon the wunderkind director secured a bigger budget and household-name co-star, Dakota Johnson, for his next film, Cha Cha Real Smooth.Yet Raiff’s character-driven style hasn’t much changed.

Like Shithouse, Cha Cha Real Smooth (★★★☆☆) is a comedy-drama about a fumbling, warm-hearted youth (Raiff again) finding his way and navigating a complex relationship with a more jaded woman.This time, Raiff plays Andrew, an aimless college grad living at home with his mom (Leslie Mann), whom he loves, and his stepfather (Brad Garrett), whom he does not.