Greetings again from the darkness. Filmmakers who see the world in an unusual way often appeal to me. Whit Stillman fits that description as evidenced by his Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco. It’s been more than a decade since his last film, and his writing remains strong while his director’s eye may have atrophied a bit. We get a trippy, twisty maze of dialogue that is not double-entendre, but rather double-take.
The film takes place on a fictional campus named Seven Oaks College. We meet a small clique of young ladies led by Violet (Greta Gerwig, Greenberg). She has a noble life mission of “helping” young men 
who don’t recognize their own potential. She views this as a type of social work. Violet and her troupe are also dedicated to the high causes of perfume and fashion. They volunteer at a Suicide Prevention Center, where they seem to possess no skills other than handing out donuts and teaching tap dancing.
Violet’s followers include Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke), Heather (Carrie MacLemore) and transfer-student Lily (Analeigh Tipton). They could be termed caricatures, but I am not sure of what. Their philosophical meanderings could be considered arrogance, but their hearts seem to be in the right place. And it’s 
difficult to raise much ire towards Violet when her ambition involves inventing the next international dance craze … Sambola. She even provides an oral argument on the importance of dance crazes within society. She acts like an adviser, almost a guru … but she ends up needing guidance as much as anyone.
To watch this movie, one must be willing to give Mr. Stillman some slack in the rope. To treat suicide with a touch of glib can be dangerous, but watching Aubrey Plaza defend the importance of “clinical” depression is pretty humorous. Analeigh Tipton acts somewhat as the voice of reason for viewers. She was outstanding in Crazy Stupid Love, and seems to be finding herself as an actress. Zach Woods (The Office) has a couple of decent scenes as the campus editor of “The Daily Complainer”, Adam Brody is the boyfriend who may not be what he 
seems, Alia Shawkat makes a quick angry appearance, and Taylor Nichols keeps his streak alive of appearing in all of Stillman’s films.
This movie may be best viewed and enjoyed as a glimpse into the mind of Whit Stillman. As a visual film, it’s really nothing special. The interesting part is in the dialogue and delivery of those lines … plus the social commentary offered up by the dialogue. Although, please don’t ask me what point that commentary is making.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of Whit Stillman’s previous films OR you are looking for an offbeat filmmaker in the vein of Wes Anderson (minus the visual flair).
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer the story to make a clear point and the characters speak in “normal” thoughts (neither of which happen here)
watch the trailer:
Movie Reviews from the Dark 