Whit Stillman’s 1990 Metropolitan is a story of social circles, holiday debutante parties, and prestige. In Upper West Side Manhattan, a group of friends meet to debate over social mobility and the concept of socialism itself from their very privileged, and educated pedestal they sit upon. With accompanying romances and vendettas, Stillman shares his oddly-paced take on honesty, friendship, and society.

Edward Clements stars as Tom Townsend, the “radicalist imposter” who is adopted into the very lifestyle he criticizes for its blind ignorance of the less fortunate. What he lacks in wealth and drama of the debutant lifestyle, he makes up for with startling conversation that is admired by one girl in particular, Audrey Rouget (Carolyn Farina). As an indie christmas movie it borders the line between torturous and plain, leaving the audience with feelings of both unsatisfaction and enjoyment. The low-budget production was “minimalistic”, meaning the end result was simple and reliant on script and casting. Thanks to Stillman’s screenplay, Metropolitan does its job, and deserves a rating of 8/10. I would recommend this film to anyone interested in Manhattan and casual, somewhat uncomfortable, discussions of socialism.