Why Press Play

On this episode of Why Press Play we dust off the martini glasses and put on our patent leather shoes for a night on the town with the finest New York beaus and debutantes in a weird movie from director Whit Stilman and graciously shown to me by Gareth Stack called Metropolitan from 1990.In a nebulous time somewhere between 1950 and 1990 a loosely affiliated group of new rich haute bourgeoise calling themselves a 'Rat Pack' of sorts, are flitting from after-party to after-party in the New York Debutante Ball scene at Christmas time. Its a weird film that showcases the strange and unapproachable personalities of these seemingly disconnected rich kids in their late teens and early twenties. It does have its charms however and as the movie opens up from an impenetrable web of political and high art references into a story about what teens want to really talk about, sex and love. The relationships bloom over the Christmas season and when drugs and alcohol are involved it becomes all the more dramatic. Yes this is