Seeking out the
5000 greatest films
in a century of cinema
Damsels in Distress
Directed by
Whit Stillman
Produced by Whit Stillman
Written by Whit Stillman
Produced by Whit Stillman
Written by Whit Stillman
With:
Greta Gerwig, Carrie MacLemore, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Analeigh Tipton, Ryan Metcalf, Jermaine Crawford, Caitlin FitzGerald, Zach Woods, Domenico D'Ippolito, Nick Blaemire, Aubrey Plaza, Hugo Becker, Meredith Hagner, Joe Coots, Adam Brody, and Billy Magnussen
Cinematography:
Doug Emmett
Editing: Andrew Hafitz
Music: Mark Suozzo
Editing: Andrew Hafitz
Music: Mark Suozzo
Runtime:
99 min
Release Date: 26 April 2012
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Color: Color
Release Date: 26 April 2012
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Color: Color
Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress, his first film in 13 years and his first digital films, isn’t quite on par with his early work like Metropolitan and Barcelona, but it still delivers all the mannered, quirky pleasure of his signature voice. Never one for realism, Stillman’s characters are all commentators on their world and what is always enjoyable is that these folks are never the “cool-kids” but they always think they are. Unfortunately, the characters in Damsels in Distress are all just whimsical cyphers. Stillman's earlier films all seemed like windows on real, but little unknown, micro-cultures. This film just feels like another satire about college life, and it's not funny or substantial enough to qualify as a good one.