The new year brought in a comedy that seemed destined for instant cult status, but instead Michael Cera (after that ‘Nick and Norah’ film I despised, and ‘Year One’ which I seemed to be the only one to marginally appreciate) delivers another crap-sack version of “Superbad” as the awkward hero desperate to lose his virginity. How to do so this time? Create an alternate persona known as Francois to be the dark and dangerous man he wants to be on the inside.
“Youth in Revolt” is based on a book I haven’t read, and I can imagine it being a funny novel that fails to translate well onscreen. The film continually beat me over the head with its dull pacing, boring characters, uninteresting dual-personality plot device, and mean spirit. Enough of these teens trying to get laid, especially Michael Cera. The pacing is laborious, and nothing beyond what was shown in the redband trailer works for laughs in the slightest. I’ve always appreciated Cera’s knack for dry, awkward situational humor, but he wears incredibly thin in this film. It doesn’t help that eventually his character becomes so unlikable, and for a 90-minute movie that feels double its running time, this film has to be described as painful and uneven. Perhaps it will find its following on the small-screen, but I can’t get on that train.
Last 5 posts by Matt V
- Escape Plan - October 20th, 2013
- Captain Phillips - October 16th, 2013
- Gravity - October 15th, 2013
- Prisoners - October 15th, 2013
- World War Z - June 20th, 2013
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