Dakota Johnson is the mother of an autistic daughter in the PASSIONATE comedy broadcast on Apple TV+

Discovering yourself in life and navigating change is no longer a journey only told in teen dramas like Eighth Grade, Almost 18, or The Summer of My Life.

And newcomer Cooper Raiff is here to prove it and directs his second film, Cha Cha Real Smooth – The Next Step, the perfect opportunity to explore the pitfalls of being a young adult fresh out of college with no horizons. clear in front of you. your eyes.

In the film, which has just arrived in Brazil via Apple TV+ streaming, the 23-year-old filmmaker explores his own age range in a sweet, gentle and sensitive comedy. Alongside two well-known names in Hollywood, Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann, he makes his film a Sundance classic. Maybe he’s carefully crafted to fit that shape, but it’s still inevitable not to be enchanted by his upside-down maturity.

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In addition to directing and writing, Raiff also stars in this particular story in which a lost and somewhat aimless young man ends up developing a friendship with an “older” woman (Dakota Johnson is only 32 , capable!) and her autistic daughter. As someone who can’t seem to find his footing, he will invariably find that bar mitzvah entertainer is perhaps the profession that best suits him. And between birthday parties and the dangerous approach of a committed woman, Andrew will learn to navigate the feeling of a first love – this time from the height of his 22 years.

And with a slightly dysfunctional, but loving family, he still becomes the classic adult figure who, as he faces his own love and professional dilemmas, is also the stark contrast to his little brother, a 13-year-old boy. full of doubts, but who seems to have a lot more to teach him than he could ever hope for. And so, Cha Cha Real Smooth unfolds before our eyes like a delicate non-romantic comedy, one that lulls us into the mysteries of its characters, even if its steps are uncertain. Here, Raiff makes us love the imperfections and discrepancies of his protagonists, making us see in them remnants of ourselves. Who has never felt dissatisfied with their job? Who hasn’t felt confused? Who has never been afraid of not being loved? Such rhetoric is the basis of his film, which also explores autism through subtle, realistic perception.

And with an adapted soundtrack that opens the film to the sound of Lupe Fiasco, traveling through teenage and indie bands, the comedy-drama promotes laughter without straining and losing the sensitivity that runs through the pain of its main protagonists. . And with such charismatic characters – especially Raiff’s – there’s no way the movie won’t be a hit. With a bittersweet flavor and an ending that leaves the most die-hard lovers adrift, Cha Cha Real Smooth delivers the result audiences crave, promoting a comfortable and comforting experience.

Making a constant generational contrast between all the characters, the comedy is always a reflection on how we all – in some way – go through some kind of coming of age. Always exploring autism with responsibility and affection, the film presents us with an unusual and captivating friendship between an almost adult and a pre-adolescent too pure for this world so sagacious and perverse. And under the spell and charm of Raiff, Cha Cha Real Smooth takes us by the hand and makes us fall in love with the optimism, good humor and passion of a big boy who – with great difficulty – will discover that growing up is a never-ending process.

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