{"id":2048,"date":"2012-04-28T11:19:18","date_gmt":"2012-04-28T11:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=2048"},"modified":"2012-04-28T11:19:34","modified_gmt":"2012-04-28T11:19:34","slug":"damsels-in-distress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/comedy\/damsels-in-distress\/","title":{"rendered":"Damsels In Distress ***"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> Whit Stillman<\/a> returns more with of a pop than a bang, after a 14-year absence with another take on neurotic, privileged, preppy middle-class existence with Damsels in Distress<\/em><\/a>. It delivers a shining new star in\u00a0Greta Gerwig<\/a> as the film\u2019s no-nonsense, self-appointed philanthropist, Violet, who tragically believes her college life mission is to better those social groups in need, uncannily masking her own troubles. This feels like a version of Heathers<\/em> or Mean Girls<\/em>, but with Stillman\u2019s acute, dry wit in the continual chatter and the oddly outdated innocence to it, it is without the contemporary social ills of other teen stories, and has a genuinely caring and affectionate stance for its strange bunch of flawed characters.<\/p>\n

Violet leads a trio of girls who set out to change the fraternity-centric, male-dominated environment of an East Coast college campus, Seven Oaks \u2013 with the help of new recruit Lily (Analeigh Tipton<\/a>), as well as rescue their fellow students from depression, grunge and low standards of every kind. At the same time, Violet\u2019s mission becomes a gradual self-awaking to her warped view of humility, only saved by a bar of soap and a new dance craze called Sambola.<\/p>\n

Through the acerbic comments from Violet and co, with Lily acting as their inquisitor and mirror, there is still a sense of absurd sweetness and good will in all that the girls do, regardless of how twisted their words and actions first appear. It is as though reality truly bites when it\u2019s laid bare, and as outrageous as the therapy of doughnuts and tap dancing for the depressed college minority seems, nothing is done without due attention and consideration. Whitman illustrates this with Violet\u2019s matter-of-fact, if superior retorts at any number of Lily\u2019s probing questions, as well as bathes his anti-heroine in a halo of sunlight like a guardian angel, walking off to her next crusade.<\/p>\n

Gerwig outshines the rest of her female (and male cast) in this, possibly because Tipton is a tad too insipid to match her understated power performance, and the other girls in the group \u2013 Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke<\/a>) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore<\/a>) \u2013 are merely beautiful (if dopey) caricatures seen in many college films: Rose\u2019s running joke about being British and every boy being \u2018an operator\u2019 wears a little thin after time, as does Heather\u2019s dippy prom queen persona.<\/p>\n

With the whole stage focused on Gerwig, the actress sensitively plays out a \u2018little girl lost\u2019, tragic, soulful quality to Violet that makes us want to see her succeed in her endeavours, however astounding her comments are. Whenever we condemn her reactions, Stillman\u2019s satire soon reminds us of how needy some of her \u2018subjects\u2019 are, showing a range of frat boys with dubious intellect and limited life skills, such as one who breaks Violet\u2019s heart, and another who was never taught names of colours as his rich parents had him skip kindergarten. Whatever her faults, Violet always comes across as the most genuine in the end, grounded by The OC<\/em>\u2019s Adam Brody<\/a>\u2019s character, Charlie\u2019s curiosity and investment in her \u2013 mirroring our own sentiments.<\/p>\n

Damsels in Distress<\/em> is an intriguingly endearing kooky fest of witty dialogue that has no clear plan of where is wants to end up, short of a musical number to smooth over all grievances and differences. However, Gerwig is a revelation in this and a suitable pioneer of Stillman\u2019s often socially skewed work for the uninitiated, and the necessary rudder for this particular offering.<\/p>\n

3\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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