REVIEW: Damsels in Distress [2012]

“I’d like to thank you for that chastisement” Leave it to Whit Stillman to ensure decadence never dies. The king of creating a haughty air onscreen during the 90s returns after a prolonged absence with Damsels in Distress, a film existing in the present but populated with a wealth of characters keeping one colloquial foot in the past. Interjecting an outsider unfamiliar with the pretention cultivated by those she is joining—much like Tom into the auteur’s debut feature Metropolitan‘s debutante gala season—we are allowed to see behind the curtain of…

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REVIEW: Metropolitan [1990]

“Driver! Follow that pedestrian!” I have discovered a new cinematic character worth quoting and his name is Nick Smith. Ever since Criterion decided to release a couple Whit Stillman films, I was intrigued to find out exactly what made them ‘worthy’ of the slightly slanted ‘C’ seal of approval. The artwork alone piqued my interest with its hand drawn aristocratic aesthetic, but it was the mystery of having never really heard the name before that truly drew me in. Next thing I knew, his debut Metropolitan was available for viewing…

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