"Damsels In Distress" : Whimsical Sweet Romance

College campuses are a mixture of high academics, sports, and the troubles of youth. In cinema the most usual approach to presenting stories around the college life is to focus on the drinking, the frat houses, the hookups, and a raunchy comedic tone to all of this. Therefore, when a film shows college life in a romanticized, warm, but still hilarious manner, heads must turn. Whit Stillman's "Damsels in Distress" is a whimsical, witty, pretentiously funny, smart and quotable (yes quotable) film, that shows a very particular set of students. Every line in the script serves a purpose to elevate the ongoing charm and elegance of the story. Totally funny and heartfelt in a classy, and i would dare to say innocent and sweet way. Just a delight of a film that must be seen, and probably re-watched multiple times to catch every subtle punchline and memorable gesture. An extremely smart feel-good film.

The story places us in an college campus, never really telling us exactly what year it is, or where exactly this place is located. This in fact is a positive, it helps you accept the characters without the prejudices of a determined era or our expectations of what people from an specific period of time should be. We meet the 3 original damsels as they approach a candidate to be their new member. The leader being, Violet  (Greta Gerwig) a pretentious, arrogant girl, but at heart sweet and a humanitarian of some sort. Then there is Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) another intellectual, fashion-driven American girl, who speaks with a British accent and who despises "operator/player" type men. Lastly, there is Heather (Carrie MacLemore) being the naive follower who really seems to be the mid point between Violet and Rose. The new girl in their clique is Lily (Analeigh Tipton), who represents everything that is missing in the other damsels, she is down to earth, honest, and with less idealistic/ self-uplifting goals. The story revolves around the girls trying to help suicidal classmates change their lives , and finding a good male partner who perhaps is "less refined" than them. Someone they can guide and manipulate freely.  To achieve these, Violet seems to have radical convictions on emotional intelligence, among them : tap dancing, scent therapy, doughnuts, and dance crazes.

It is a unique approach to a typical story of a group of girls trying to navigate love and growing up. Unlike films in the other side of the spectrum, such as "Mean Girls" or even recent "Bachelorette", which explore this in an overly sexual and scatological way. Stillman creates a piece with period piece dialogue but relevant in subject, and fascinating style. Even the most "barbaric" frat rituals seems innocent and romanticized. Each character so meticulously crafted, coated with eccentricisms  and yet engaging. Never over dramatic, or with a really defined plot. It doesn't attempt to tell a completely circular story, but rather to show this beautiful mix of melancholy,hipster vibe, and sweet sadness about love. The jokes are hidden in between the long speeches, and disguised as factual statements from the characters. From the classy invention of a new dance , the "Sambola", to a frat boy unable to identify colors and his search for "knowledge". I admit that some situations are down right ridiculous and absurd, but under the cloud of this universe, they are acceptable.

A wonderfully enjoyable film with which I fell in love. Greta Gerwig is just gorgeously tender and contained, glowing with this passive craziness, she is the soul of the film. One of those rare films with so many good lines and memorable moments it becomes hard to number them or pick them out singularly.  An ensemble of adorable characters that really bring something fresh to cinema's depiction of college students. Not the typical mean spirited cliches, but a sort of current nostalgia of what perhaps college should be. The film is just like Violet's idea to send soap to the frat house males. A beautifully wrapped present that once opened, leaves an enduring scent that brings happiness to the psyche. That is exactly what "Damsels in Distress" is. Pure joyous fun. Grade A+