Movie Review: Damsels in Distress (2011)

Two words I'd choose to describe "Damsels in Distress" are "quirky" and "different."  This film is definitely not for everyone because it's off-beat for sure.  The film is directed by Whit Stillman and though I'm not familiar with his other work, apparently off-beat is his style.  The film centers on a liberal arts college where a clique of girls attempt to better their campus with some seemingly different tactics.  The group is led by Violet (Greta Gerwig) and her side-kicks are Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore).  The girls recruit transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton) based on her name but she proves to be a voice that questions the group's shared beliefs.  The group attempts to stop students from committing suicide with doughnuts, coffee, dance, and aromatherapy.  Problems arise for the group members themselves testing their sanity when they branch out to date some of the male students including a smooth-talking Adrian Brody as Charlie. 

The comedy in this movie is not of the obvious variety but it's there in the whole premise.  The girls seem to live in a bubble or fantasy of their own making, which creates humorous situations.  I really liked Gerwig in this movie as she's carrying most of the humor.  It's interesting but not a real plot so I can see where this film would get tedious and maybe frustrating for some viewers.  I'd recommend this one to someone who likes Wes Anderson's films or in the mood for high-brow humor.  Solid B for me because I like different and bought into the fantasy.