Damsels In Distress

Review and Trailer Comments

• FilmBuff76

  After a Terrence Malick-like absence of some 14 years, director Whit Stillman (The Last Days Of Disco) returns to features with the witty Damsels In Distress. Indie queen Greta Gerwig plays Violet, a leader of a Heathers-like college clique who zeroes in on new student Lily (Analeigh Tipton). She inducts Lily into the local college rituals and frat boy antics. In particular, she introduces Lily to the clique's core work - working at the college's suicide prevention centre to help the lovelorn through tap dancing (!). The main cause of these damsels' distress is the men in their lives, who come across as not-too-bright. The performances are good throughout, especially Gerwig who could be the next Zooey Deschanel. Amusingly quirky and charming at first, the film tends to drag in its centre section, as if it was trying to figure out where to go next. It picks up towards the end though with a song-and-dance sequence that might affect your final opinion of this film. It's as light as a souffle, but if you like quirky films then this one is for you.

  Posted 10:47 | Sat 28th Apr 2012

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