Sitting Down With Cooper Raiff and ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’

Posted in Apple TV +, Interviews, Movies, What's Streaming? by - June 24, 2022
Sitting Down With Cooper Raiff and ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’

Love is rarely pretty but it is always honest…

On this episode we have the unique pleasure of sitting down with the writer/director/star of Cha Cha Real Smooth; Cooper Raiff.

Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino (Dakota Johnson), and her daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), he finally discovers a future he wants — even if it might not be his own.

This film is simply a fantastic representation of family, love and the things we we’re willing to do for it all no matter how long it lasts.

After winning the dramatic audience award at this past Sundance Film Festival it is now the perfect film to curl up with and watch on Apple TV+.  No matter who you are and where you come from this movie will hit you right in the sweet spot which is what good story telling is just supposed to do.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Cooper to ask about the origins of the film, giving honest representations on screen, what got him into this business and so very much more…

Cha Cha Real Smooth is streaming now on Apple+.

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David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 15 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), and to.Night Newspaper. He’s been all across the continent; serving on the FIPRESCI Jury at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, covering festivals out side of Toronto like Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs, Slamdance, Fantasia, SXSW, DOC NYC, Santa Barbara Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival and many others However, In the uncertain world of modern film journalism, David also knew that he needed to have a hand in writing and cementing his own contributions on the global film scene. Having eclipsed the 10 year anniversary of his own outlet, In The Seats, where he’s been striving to support film (and TV) from all walks of life and his podcast “In The Seats With…” where after 5 & ½ years and over 750 episodes he’s talked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, behind the scenes artisans and so much more on the art of storytelling for the screen, which is spawning the launch of a new show in the Spring of 2026. “ITS: Soundtracks” will focus on the use of soundtrack and score in film which he believes is a combination that is the cinematic equivalent of Peanut Butter and Chocolate. All this as well as hosting and moderating a variety of big screen events around the city, covering film in all its forms is just a way of life for him.
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