Damsels in Distress: Whit Stillman (LFF 24.10.2011)

This was the BFI Members' mystery film, supposed to be a thank you for their support. Certainly that is how it was introduced by Sandra Hebron. Set in an American co-ed college which seems to have students who are well into adult life (Of the three leads who went to school together, one looks well over 30 while the other two look years younger) though this may be a deliberate attempt at humour referring back to the college films of the 30s of June Allyson, Peter Lawford, et al. How the film plays out is something I do not know as the first 30 or so minutes were sufficiently unentertaining and poorly put together for us not to want to see the rest. The only other review I have seen appears to bear out our thoughts. This was the first time we had opted for the mystery film and, on this showing, it will be the last.