High society. The wealthy. Socialites.
These are the subjects of “Metropolitan,” the 1990 directorial debut of Whit Stillman. I first saw “Metropolitan” back in the spring of 2020 on the channel Flix, and it has since become one of my favorite films. I rewatched “Metropolitan” with my partner over the summer, while we were on vacation in Williamsburg, and it still holds up.
Set in New York City, “Metropolitan” takes place in the midst of debutante season and centers on Tom Townsend (Edward Clements), a middle-class man who is attending Princeton.
One night, by sheer coincidence, Tom encounters a group of wealthy socialites, known as the Sally Fowler Rat Pack, and quickly becomes integrated into the group, befriending Nick (Chris Eigeman) and Charlie (Taylor Nichols).
Soon, Tom begins to be invited to gatherings by the group, in which they host a variety of discussions ranging from political philosophy to literature. The circle of socialites also includes Audrey Rouget (Carolyn Farina) — who quickly becomes enamored with Tom, along with being fascinated by his unorthodox viewpoints, compared to the rest of the group — and Cynthia (played by Isabel Gillies, best known for portraying Kathy Stabler, the wife of Elliot Stabler, on the long-running police procedural “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”).
Chris Eigeman (who, a few years later, would star in Noah Baumbach’s 1995 film “Kicking & Screaming”) delivers a great performance as Nick. One highlight of his portrayal of Nick includes a sequence where he recounts a terrible story involving Rick Von Sloneker, another socialite, in a monologue.
In a supporting role, Taylor Nichols is excellent as Charlie, delivering several hilarious lines throughout the film, an example being a scene where he discusses the film “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.”
As for Carolyn Farina’s portrayal of Audrey, she embodies a character who is enamored with Tom, along with being more reserved compared to Nick and Charlie.
Whit Stillman, the writer-director of the film, is at the helm of it. Not only is his direction outstanding, but he also wrote an excellent script. Stillman created one of the most well-written screenplays ever adapted to film, containing an abundance of witty dialogue featured throughout the film within its 99-minute runtime. A prominent example of this is during a scene where Charlie is discussing “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” the 1972 film directed by surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel (most famous for his 1929 short film, “Un Chien Andalou,” a collaboration with painter Salvador Dalí), misinterpreting the title of the anticapitalist satire as praising the wealthy, rather than the ironic intentions of it.
“Metropolitan,” at times, feels like the film equivalent of a Jane Austen novel, especially with the names of the characters. There is even the inclusion of a scene that mentions one of her works when Tom discusses a critique of one of her novels with Audrey.
Cinematographer John Thomas captures several stunning shots of New York City. With many shots of the wintry streets and the neon lights glistening from signs, Thomas captures visuals that convey an atmosphere that seems like it is in the past, although it is in the present.
“Metropolitan” Whit Stillman examines high society with a razor-sharp script and stellar performances, resulting in one of the finest directorial debuts ever displayed on the silver screen.
A glimpse into the life of the wealthy, during one of the most hectic times of the year.
“Metropolitan” is available to purchase on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection, and is also available for streaming on HBO Max.
