10 April 2012
Presented as a double-bill at the ICA, these two mini-budget films from Aaron Katz attempt to tap the reality of teenage lives in urban America. In Quiet City a girl comes to new York to visit a friend, gets lost and, late at night, meets a boy. They share 24 hours together in late-night diners, parks and finally at a party in Brooklyn. In Dance Party, USA a 17-year-old, who tells tall stories about the girls he's bedded and the drugs he's done, meets a girl at a party whom he likes enough to confess his fibs.
Both films try for small moments of truth rather than drama and are honest enough to show that the young often lead surprisingly dull lives. Unfortunately the films are a bit dull too.
Quiet City & Dance Party, USA
