Alice (Chloe Sevigny) and Charlotte are assistant editors at a publishing house by day and regulars at "the club" (modeled after Studio 54) by night. Charlotte pushes Alice to fight for an editorship at work, and to have a few flings at play. Alice likes hapless Jimmy (Mackenzie Astin), an ad flunky banned from the club because the owner dislikes his type, but she goes after Tom (Robert Sean Leonard), an environmental lawyer whom Charlotte deems a cooler catch. Des (Chris Eigemann), a manager at the club, hangs with the group, defending his indefensible ethos in outraged terms. The club is being investigated for drugs and tax evasion by Josh (Matt Keesler), an assistant district attorney with ties to the group.

Disco is the final installment of a trilogy that began with Metropolitan and Barcelona, and like its predecessors, its chief joys lie in conversation--an analysis of Lady and the Tramp or loyalty in Julius Caesar. The rarefied dialogue reflects an upbringing filled with literary romance and a hunger for real-life experiences, but the characters' hip veneer hides a deep naivet. Disco, however, has more incident than either of the previous films; its choppy pace and constant twists make it more tiring and demanding than the tableaux of Metropolitan or the lyric of Barcelona.

What makes Stillman's films irresistible, though, is his desire to have these fragile, protected characters find a world where love is possible. The final joyous images of Disco reveal his romantic optimism. Disco itself may collapse under its own hedonism, debutante balls have to end, and none of the movements and labels to which the characters cling may last. But in spite of their wordy self-delusion, Alice and Josh in this movie, Fred and Audrey from Metropolitan, and Ted from Barcelona all survive and even find happiness under Stillman's benevolent eye.