Cha Cha Real Smooth: A Fresh Rom-Com Close to Reality

Young director from Texas, United States, Cooper Raiff won the US Audience Award (Dramatic) at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival through his latest work “Cha Cha Real Smooth” (2022).

This film received a positive response from various circles, because it presents an age difference love story with a fresh comedy wrapped with a charming family drama.

Cooper Raiff is able to bring the main character, who is actually a young man in his early twenties, into a reflection of many people's lives because of his honesty and powerlessness in dealing with reality.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” basically centers on the life of Andrew (Cooper Raiff), a 22-year-old boy who has big ambitions to catch up with his girlfriend who is studying in Barcelona.

With a mediocre financial condition, Andrew decides to return to live with his mother Lisa (Leslie Mann), younger brother David (Evan Assante), and stepfather Greg (Brad Garrett) in New Jersey. Andrew, who is cheerful and easy to get along with, works at a fast food restaurant called Meat Stick.

Andrew's story began to be interesting since he had the opportunity to start his ridiculous career as a party starter. At a party, he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), the young mother of an autistic child who catches Andrew's attention.

When Andrew falls for Domino's, the reality of the age gap and financial stability begins to become an internal conflict for himself. Plus, Domino is a woman who is engaged and has a child who is already in her teens, this is certainly beyond her reach.

Andrew's journey through the process of self-acceptance is a reflection of many people who are or have experienced feelings of defeat in their early twenties. The helplessness and acceptance that Andrew feels at least has been experienced by most people in various cases of life.

This film, directed, produced, written, and played by Cooper Raiff, takes the theme of how a young man can find himself after going through various kinds of rejection.

Also highlighting the awareness of a young man that his true life will not always center on everything that benefits him alone. There are many things that can affect the mood, as well as the possibility of strangers who can make wounds without considering their existence.

With a relatively young age, Cooper Raiff is able to perform brilliantly both in terms of directing to writing a script that is quite fresh in capturing the dynamics of the feelings of a young person in their early twenties.

He presents several social issues in a fairly subtle way, for example about masculinity in a positive way, where outwardly a man is not only required to be strong, they are also ordinary people who can cry, be disappointed, and have the right to admit their vulnerability to something.

Vanessa Burghard's autistic teenager character deserves a light in the overall narrative of this film. How "Cha Cha Real Smooth" can elegantly address social sentiments towards people with autism disorders who often receive special treatment from the social environment.

Andrew is the only person who understands the condition of Lola (Vanessa Burghard) who is always isolated at a party and finds it difficult to interact socially. The way Andrew approached Lola did not convey any condescension or privilege. The interaction between the two, which was made completely normal, indicates a form of protection for children with autism, that in fact they are not much different from other children.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” is also able to reverse social sentiments towards children with autism. For example, when Andrew sympathizes with Domino who may have experienced many difficulties while raising Lola, Domino thinks that Lola is a gift that can make him stronger and survive until now.

Overall, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” is a show that is very suitable for fans of romcoms and simple stories about everyday life. With its fresh demeanor, this film is not only entertaining but has a lot to ponder.