The Last Days of Disco

The Last Days of Disco
by Whit Stillman

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Movie Reviews of The Last Days of Disco

Movie Review: One of my favorite films from 1998
Summary: 5 Stars

People like Stillman usually have another trait. They tend to explore only a very small segment of society. In his case, it is an ongoing study of upper middle-class young adults who grown up in and around New York City. Because he makes so few movies, he is in no danger of exhausting his subject matter. In fact, those who like his work can hardly wait for the next installment.

He is a gifted craftsman. He writes about his characters with a cool detachment, allowing the viewers to form their own opinions. He is a master of dialog. He successfully pulls off a difficult genre known as the comedy of manners. His humor is so cool and dry that I usually find my brain running about five seconds behind what is happening on the screen. I catch myself wanting to talk back to the characters. This, I think, is a compliment, because it indicates becoming very involved with the story.

In "Metropolitan", Stillman's award-winning first effort, we were treated to a ritual most of us presumed was dead. The film was about the trials and tribulations of The Coming Out Ball, as in the High Society type. "Barcelona" showed a group of young New Yorkers as they tried, unsuccessfully, to apply their standards to those of Spanish society. "The Last Days of Disco" takes place in Manhattan in the early 1980s. The decline of the disco culture is secondary here to an overall change in social values that was then sweeping the country.

The cast is uniformly excellent. While none of them are especially well known, you can expect that to change for several of them. One actor, Christopher Eigerman, has appeared in all three films. This film also makes several references to the city of Barcelona. Stillman has essentially made a movie trilogy, although each film can be enjoyed independently.

I don't think you need to have much knowledge of New York to relate to the characters and the story. Exploring one's limits and seeking one's place in the world are universal pursuits.

As I said, dialog is at the forefront in "The Last Days of Disco". For example, Chloe Sevigney and Kate Beckinsale play Alice and Charlotte, two roommate who could not be more different. At one point the rather icy Charlotte pushes the much warmer Alice too far. Alice walks out of the apartment, and Chloe realizes she must make amends. So, running into the hall, she gives her best shot at an apology. "Listen! What I said that was wrong, I apologize for!", she shouts. She hesitates a moment. Unable to face complete humility, she follows with, "And what I said that wasn't wrong, I don't apology for!".

Walt Stillman has created another urbane and sophisticated work.

Summary of The Last Days of Disco

The film's casual plot revolves around six recent college graduates, and Stillman charts their clashes and intimacies with a keen sense of human foibles and frailties, pausing throughout for such characteristic touches as a hilarious conversation about the sexual politics of Disney's Lady and the Tramp or the homoerotic subtext in an episode of Wild Kingdom. Sharp dialogue is in rich abundance here, and through it all Stillman captures the fading glory of disco as his characters make the transition toward adult responsibilities. It's here that we see how this film is subtly intertwined with Stillman's earlier work, and where we gain a fuller and more satisfying appreciation of a filmmaker who has carved a singular niche for himself in the world of independent movies. --Jeff Shannon