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Carolyn Farina,
Carolyn Farina,
Edward Clements,
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Whit Stillman,
Whit Stillman
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: Criterion
: Comedies, Independent, Criterion Collection
: 99 min.
: English
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The debut film from writer-director Whit Stillman etches a sophisticated comic portrait of New York debutante society at the twilight of the 1980s. Set during the Christmas season, the film is told from the vantage point of Tom Townsend (Edward Clements), a self-professed proletarian radical who stumbles into the social sphere of a group of well-off Upper East Side twentysomethings calling themselves the SFRP (or Sally Fowler Rat Pack, named in honor of a frequent party hostess). The group includes Nick (Christopher Eigeman), an acidic misanthrope; sweet-natured Jane Austen acolyte Audrey (Carolyn Farina); Charlie (Taylor Nichols), a tongue-tied bumbler secretly in love with Audrey; and femme fatale Cynthia (Isabel Gillies). Quickly, Tom, who comes from much more humble beginnings, finds himself caught in the middle of the group. Audrey even develops a crush on him, but Tom is still reeling from a broken relationship with renowned man-eater Serena (Elizabeth Thompson), a peripheral member of the SFRP. It all leads to a romantic climax at the Southampton vacation home of Nick's womanizing arch-enemy Rick von Sloneker (Will Kempe). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
GreenCine Staff Pick: Doomed. Bourgeois. In Love. Metropolitan is at heart a romantic comedy but what sets it apart is Whit Stillman's quippy dialogue, or maybe general yakkitude - writing that had critics calling him the "WASP Woody Allen." The beautiful Criterion edition disc includes feature commentary from Stillman, who produced this gem for under $100,000. Worth a rewatch every Christmas, even if you're not Urban Haute Bourgeoisie. Or "simply UHB." - Dennis Woo
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| I'm ACTING over heaah!!
by MDixon
March 23, 2006 - 7:05 AM PST
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0 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| I dunno - just couldn't get all the way through this one. The acting was atrocious - I just can't really believe people, even people of this elevated social stratum, talk like this. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, really. Maybe interesting as a sort of sociological study, or for people who actually lived like these people do, but even that I have some serious doubts about. |
| Excellent director/writer
by concretph
March 11, 2006 - 3:11 PM PST
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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I haven't watched a film by Stillman since Last Days of Disco back in the 90's but I think this guy's work is about due for a review. Basically, you have to be a fan of intelligent, clever dialogue to enjoy his movies. So much of the plot derives from certain moments where a cool character revelation is spun into a Woody Allen-type sardonic tale of life.
I am definitely not a fan of upper crust East Coast society types but this is a great film. Barcelona is worth watching, too. And I still sigh in disappointment when I remember a promising young Kate Beckinsdale (before she turned into a lame duck 'movie star') in LDoD. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.26)
84 Votes
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