See, that's the thing about Dance Party, USA. It's not really a film I can talk about in stilted critic-speak because it's not a film made for stilted critics. There is a certain art-house charm and sensibility to the film, but it appeals to me on a much more earnest level than that. And it's refreshingly free of the so-called "indie quirk" that seems to be slowly leeching into the mainstream these days. Self-indulgent does not equal pretension. Sure, it might be self-indulgent to have these non-professional actors sit around and ad-lib their way through long dialogues about their personal lives, but there is nothing pretentious about it. The film doesn't try to throw around its weight and instead really earns the emotional impact it carries. Your mileage may vary, but I thought the film was quite touching in parts.

This can be attributed largely to the screen presence (or refreshing lack thereof) of the aforementioned non-professional actors. Cole Pensinger as Gus, the film's male lead, delivers a surprisingly nuanced and sensitive performance. His character is almost immediately unlikable. The film opens with him telling his buddy on the bus about some vile sexcapades (which actually figure in importantly later in the film) and over the course of the next several minutes he really doesn't do much to endear himself. But between Katz's script and direction and Pensinger's performance, you come to understand his obnoxious, mysogynistic personality traits are just a front masking a character who is really just a sensitive if still immature kid.

Whoa, big revelation there. The guy that talks up his sex life and acts like a dick in public is actually a sensitive soul. Okay, so Katz isn't winning any points for creativity, but the thing is that Gus feels real and not like some cliched creation for the screen. Same goes for Jessica, the charming female lead played by Anna Kavan. Where Gus comes off as awkward and maybe a little dumb, Jessica is articulate and poised and intelligent. Kavan has the chops and the charm to be an indie film starlet, but somehow Dance Party is the only film she's acted in if IMDb is to be trusted. She brings the depth and humor you'd expect from a professional actor while still maintaining the kinda clumsy, exploratory charm of a non-professional. Honestly, if I ever had the chance to direct her, I would not pass up the opportunity.