The Last Days of Disco

Several people have commented that the conversations in the club would have been impossible due to the loud disco music. I was a regular bar goer in the 1970s and 80s and though some rock and roll bars were deafening, most dance clubs were not as "loud" as they are today. Conversation was a possibility back then believe it or not. I think that is one retro idea that should be revived.

As for the rest of the film, I liked it. I did not think all of the elements worked however. For example, I would have liked to have seen more proof that disco was on its way out. Having guys walk around in shirts that proclaimed "Disco Sucks" and footage of a "death to disco" rally at a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox were both evident in 1979 when that game was played. I watched that game. Incidentally, the Tigers won by forfeit as the Chicago field became a disaster area. I would have liked to have heard more of the change in music. We did hear some Blondie, but this film was supposed to take place in the early 80s. I think the song "Bette Davis Eyes" would have been a good choice.

If you are looking for a celebration of Disco, this film isn't it. It does have some realistic portrayals of people who might have been involved in the scene. I watched the film because I disliked the whole disco scene and thought that a film showing it dying may be interesting and it did not disappoint me. If you are looking for a plot, this film doesn't have it. Not all of it worked and I was scratching my head a few times, but I think this film may become more enjoyable with a second viewing. I gave it a 7.

I was a disco queen and what I loved about this movie is that it captured the innocence and naivete of the time along with everyone trying to be what they thought others thought was "cool". No other movie really captures that aspect of the disco days so perfectly. it was a time where everyone was looking for love, walking into a disco hoping all eyes were on them but being naive in regards to relationships. So banal, ridiculous conversations happened constantly while trying to impress or create desire. Then you went home with either the person you had the most chemistry with or whoever you were left with at the end of the night. Generally the sex sucked and not in a good way(ah that was a touch of Charlotte I think). This movie perfectly hit on all those things and takes me back many years. The only thing it didn't have was the absolute joy and abandon many people felt while dancing. There was such a freedom and love of life. Ah well, nothing's perfect, not even disco.

Well, before you see this, ask yourself if you either: a) want to engorge yourself with lengthy witty banter, or b) see a Wasp-y version of the weaving of people in and out of relationships like Seinfeld or Woody Allen but with a bigger cast? If your answer is yes, this is your movie. If not, not.

This movie is FAR more like Stillman's others (Metropolitan and Barcelona) than like anything you've seen about disco - which is simply the background. I was surprised that these yuppie characters were so freely admitted to Studio 54 (the set of the film), but perhaps it indicates disco's waning popularity by the early 1980s.

I enjoyed it very much - but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

"The Last Days of Disco" follows a group of newly minted adults in the New York of the early 1980s. They're affluent, and recent products of Ivy League educations but they really don't have much of a clue as to what adulthood is all about. They're groping, but they're not sure for what. They all have jobs, but their lives revolve around a posh disco where they mate, mingle, and talk. There's not much of a plot; "The Last Days of Disco" is mostly a series of conversions. But the conversions are wonderful. Whit Stillman's dialogue is a delight; he nails what its like during those first years of adulthood when the life of the group is replaced by a mature individuality. The ensemble cast is wonderful to watch, not overplaying their characters. I recommend this movie very highly

In the early 80's a group of friends interact around a Manhattan disco, desperate to climb the local social ladder. With an investigation in the disco's financial dealings and the end of disco approaching the friends attempt to carry on as normal.

Director Whit Stillman tends to go for comedies that look inward and have strong comedic dialogue that follow social observations and comment on different cultures and periods. However plot is never one of his major concerns and here is no different. The story here is less important that the period of disco which is the real focus. This may be a bit frustrating to some as the story doesn't seeming to have any one direction. However the characters and the dialogue will generally hold the interest sufficiently. Some of the script is a bit weak and the characters occasionally are a bit too unsympathetic but for the majority the sharp script compliments the characters.

The performances are good throughout - these socialites are not people I'd ever like to meet but they are funny from a distance. There is much to like here if you like this type of humour. But the story is almost non-existent and this is a slight problem.

Overall a clever, funny look at the life of a couple of party girls around the time disco started to suck. Not to everyone's taste and what's that credit sequence ending about? - is it a bit of fun or is it trying to say something?