Review: ‘Cha Cha’ is poignant, surprising coming-of-age tale

DJs playing wildly inappropriate songs. But there’s more than just cleverly observed cultural comedy at play in “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” the second feature by writer-director Cooper Raiff, who also stars in this poignant and accomplished coming-of-age tale about the years right after college — when you’re trying to figure out not just what to do, but who to be. And it’s not just Raiff’s character, a newly minted college grad who earns money as a “party starter” at bar mitzvahs, who’s coming of age. But then we recall that while Andrew can barely hold down a fast-food job, Raiff is winning Sundance prizes The title, by the way, comes from the 2000 party anthem “Cha Cha Slide,” that infectious line dance number that’s a reliable staple at bar or bat mitzvah parties, proms and more. We begin with a flashback to a 13-year-old Andrew, at a bar mitzvah of course, who develops a deep crush for the adult female “party starter” — the one who gets kids dancing — and declares his love in the parking lot, only to be left heartbroken: “I’m old,” she says.