Metropolitan (1990)
92 %
Reviews Counted: 25 Fresh: 23 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Synopsis: A chronicle of the social scene of a group of young Park Avenue socialites and their vanishing debutante scene. Into thier midst comes an outsider, a radical from the socially alien west side. But, because of an escort shortage he is welcomed into their group by the dominant, arrogant leader... [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman, Carolyn Farina, Isabel Gillies, Will Kempe
Director: Whit Stillman
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Reviews
Comment
Whit Stillman's crafty independent feature about wealthy Park Avenue teenagers and a middle-class boy who joins their ranks over one Christmas vacation is certainly well imagined, and impressively acted by a cast of newcomers.
07/18/08
Top Critic
As low-budget as the film looks, Stillman overcomes financial limitations by providing a learned script and eliciting polished performances.
07/18/08
It's the beautifully chiselled dialogue -- counterpointed by near-static camerawork and a nicely mannered acting style -- that remains the chief attraction.
07/18/08
Filmmaker Whit Stillman makes a strikingly original debut with Metropolitan, a glib, ironic portrait of the vulnerable young heirs to Manhattan's disappearing debutante scene.
07/18/08
Top Critic
Stillman's film depends on strong dialogue and language, his humor is submerged in the text and is played deadpan by his actors; no wonder some critics have compared him to the Gallic Eric Rohmer
12/27/06
None of Stillman’s endearing characters quite fits their prescribed social context, and in its exhilarated final movement, Metropolitan finds an exit out of the stifling UHB salon.
06/24/06
...Stillman's vision and words last as memory, as a look back at a more innocent time, as a thought stretched luxuriously into sarcasm, some cynicism, and many simple and sublime moments.
02/11/06
has the humor, warmth, and satirical edge to make it a tragically forgotten classic
11/12/05
Stillman is a careful observer with an obvious love of language, and his wonderful, fresh cast handles the script with ease, conveying just the right measure of deadpan, jejune super-seriousness.
07/30/03
One of the few films that successfully makes the East Coast upper class sympathetic. Stillman is current cinema's one true wit.
08/30/02
Metropolitan is not for everyone; but that is not a mark of shame or condemnation.
11/12/01
On a technical level, this is an amazingly slick film. Stillman knows how to, as they say, put every dollar on the screen. And on balance, he's certainly a filmmaker to watch for in the future.
01/01/00
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