I'd put it in 4th of Stillman's four films. There are 2 or 3 absolutely hilarious/absurd moments, but they certainly don't carry the rest of the film for me. Style and verbal cadence can only take you so far without a solid narrative foundation. I eagerly anticipated this film but was sadly a touch bored by it all.

I usually like dry, tongue-in-cheek humor. But speaking inane, humorless absurdities with a straight face doesn't make them funny. Several critics have used the word "twee" to describe the film; but "sophomoric," annoying," and "of no recognizable entertainment value" would seem more accurate descriptors to me. Miranda July is "twee"; this film was just completely disagreeable.

Completely devoid of real human beings and relatable situations. Lots of broad caricatures whose lives and relationships serve only as platform for highbrow one-liners. Clever for no reason and absent of any heart. Stillman is too busy making fun of his characters to ever allow you to empathize with them. I am shocked that critics liked this.

It is said that you should never hit a person when they are down and I am not sure if the same applies to a movie so I will be short. "Dasmels in Distress" will definitely be on my list of the year's worst films if not #1.

The director doesn't direct his actors how to talk, walk or how to get a scene across. I would like to think it was a generational gap but from the first shot you want to slap the leading actress. Oh yes the film was written and directed by the same person and I don't think the director talked to the writer.

It was good seeing Adam Brody on the large screen and of the rest of the cast only Megalyn Echikunwoke impressed me.

Put this on your 'must not see' list.… Expand

I had really high hopes for this film, but they were all crushed. To give you a better sense of how it made me felt, I literally looked over at my aunt who went to see the film with me, and said "That was painful". I understand some people who watch this film are faithful to the writer/director Whit Stillman, but after this, I will never watch any other films of his. What I thought was going to be a cute romantic comedy turned out to be a pretentious mess. Although I have much love for Analeigh Tipton, her part in the film served almost no purpose. Instead it followed Violet, Greta Gerwig, who is extremely unconvincing as the confident lead of a group of young girls. So much of the editing is long and drawn out. This film is filled with so many fade to black transitions that I began counting them. The film's soundtrack was absolutely horrid featuring the same music track in almost every scene. Also, this film was filled with so many cliches and horrible writing. I think one of these reviews says it best, "I imagine there was a more comprehensible first draft and then writer/director Whit Stillman (The Last Days of Disco) pulled the thesaurus off the shelf and went to work." I also know that other people in the theater shared the same sentiment as by the time the film ended, the theatre was nearly half as filled as when I walked in. If you want to watch this film to feel good about your intelligence level and pretentiousness go right on ahead, but I won't drink the Kool-Aid and instead will say that "Bio-Dome" is far more entertaining than this film would ever be.… Expand

I don't have a lot to add to other bad reviews here.... but I will reiterate that this is a triumph of style over substance. I chuckled in places, but I didn't find it interesting enough to finish. The premise and place is so far removed from reality and so isolated into its own nattering world, you just realize it is not going anywhere new after a little while. But it is engaging enough to watch after that point. I can understand some might like it, but if your newest paramour says this is a great film, be a little worried.… Expand