Donald's Last Dance

Featuring current and former members of Boston band the Slip, Adam Mutterperl's film follows the efforts of five high-school buddies, a couple years on, to reunite for the summer and resurrect their group, the Donald Avocado. They convene in a southern New England house and then . . . nothing much happens. There're some funny moments, and the take on post-break-up malaise is spot on. But even the intercut clips of the actual band performances -- replete with goofy preppies in the audience getting down with their bad selves -- don't create a lot of excitement.

Perhaps my visceral aversion to the kind of groovy jam music that figures so heavily here colored my impression. Donald's Last Dance is good for what it is: a locally made 16mm feature by a novice filmmaker. The dialogue is well written, the camera work shows flashes of originality, and the characters are likable and believable. The acting is so good, I suspect, because these guys are friends in real life. (Writer/director/producer/former Slip bass player Mutterperl brings a manic-nerdy charm to his lead role.) Like a lengthy jam, Donald's Last Dance entertains while it lasts, but that's as far as it goes. Midnight Friday at the Coolidge Corner.

-- Mike Miliard