Dance Party, USA (2006)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Aaron Katz

Writer:

Aaron Katz (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jessica and Gus, two apathetic teenagers, drift aimlessly from one day to the next until they meet each other. They make a tenuous and fleeting connection when Gus confides in Jessica about his dark past. |

Plot Keywords:

Mumblecore

Cast

Cole Pensinger	...	Gus
Anna Kavan	...	Jessica
Ryan White	...	Bill
Sarah Bing	...	Christie
Natalie Buller	...	Kate
Brendan McFadden	...	Andy
Chad Hartigan	...	Sam

Runtime:

USA:65 min | Argentina:66 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

a wonderful surprise

for all its flaws, and there are quite a few (as to be expected from such a low budget, first time feature), i was rather moved by this film. what i liked about it - and what i thought set it apart from "typical" mumblecore movies - was that it was actually about something; namely, the exploration of a certain type of person. you know him, or you've seen him at parties, the guy who loudly professes his conquests, bragging about the girls he's slept with. in this film, you discover that his behavior is actually a front for his insecurity. when i saw the film, i was actually shocked that this guy, gus, was going to be the main character. in mainstream films, he's the loudmouth friend that is always relegated to supporting roles. not so here. and, by the end, we come to understand and perhaps even sympathize with him, knowing that he's taken the first small steps toward a different life.