Tom's Corner:
Youth in Revolt
Youth in Revolt
(2009, Miguel Arteta dir.)
The grand Hollywood tradition of taking half decent teen novels and turning them into mediocre movies continues. C.D. Payne's novel of the same name is this installment's victim. Michael Cera plays the lead character, Nick Twisp, and for once, he does not play a nerdy awkward teenager...well, ok, not for the whole movie. Given the nature of the movie, this may be a short romp into the mind of a schizophrenic. No not me, you assholes....
Anyway...Michael Cera plays a pathetic virgin who seemingly has no hope of getting laid. No, this isn't Superbad. Or any of his other movies...or "Arrested Development." This time, he actually meets and kisses a girl in the first half hour (and not a cousin either). Relative newcomer Portia Doubleday plays Sheeni Saunders, a Francophile whom Nick meets when his really pathetic mother Estelle (Jean Smart) and her loser-of-the-month boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifiankis, whose name I almost spelled right the first time) have to flee their home because Jerry is a complete dumbass. But there's a problem: Nick is only up there with his family for a while. He'd have to find his father (the always wonderful Steve Buscemi) a job in Ukiah where Sheeni lives and find a way to get his mother to kick him out. To this end, he creates an alternate personality, Francois. Shades of Fight Club, huh?
Anyway, Nick gets kicked out, Sheeni finds his dad a job in Ukiah and it looks like happily ever after right? No, now Sheeni is getting sent to a French boarding school where her ex-boyfriend Trent (Jonathan Bradford Wright) is also a student. Nick does what any of us would do: recruits his new friend Vijay (Adhir Kalyan) to go and see her and her new roommate Taggarty (Rooney Mara, who played Nancy in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street) who is a bit...promiscuous. After those naked hijinks, they head back to Ukiah, and Nick comes up with a cunning and frankly fucked up plan to get Sheeni expelled.
In the end, they throw the schizo into juvie. But I know you're all wondering if he gets laid? Well, I'm not going to tell you.
Ok ok he does. He also crossdresses!
The movie was so uneven. At some times you root for Nick and his massive mental problems. At other times, you wonder what the fuck is wrong with him, aside from the aforementioned mental problems. So, see it. Or don't. It wasn't too bad. Or too good.
The grand Hollywood tradition of taking half decent teen novels and turning them into mediocre movies continues. C.D. Payne's novel of the same name is this installment's victim. Michael Cera plays the lead character, Nick Twisp, and for once, he does not play a nerdy awkward teenager...well, ok, not for the whole movie. Given the nature of the movie, this may be a short romp into the mind of a schizophrenic. No not me, you assholes....Anyway...Michael Cera plays a pathetic virgin who seemingly has no hope of getting laid. No, this isn't Superbad. Or any of his other movies...or "Arrested Development." This time, he actually meets and kisses a girl in the first half hour (and not a cousin either). Relative newcomer Portia Doubleday plays Sheeni Saunders, a Francophile whom Nick meets when his really pathetic mother Estelle (Jean Smart) and her loser-of-the-month boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifiankis, whose name I almost spelled right the first time) have to flee their home because Jerry is a complete dumbass. But there's a problem: Nick is only up there with his family for a while. He'd have to find his father (the always wonderful Steve Buscemi) a job in Ukiah where Sheeni lives and find a way to get his mother to kick him out. To this end, he creates an alternate personality, Francois. Shades of Fight Club, huh?
Anyway, Nick gets kicked out, Sheeni finds his dad a job in Ukiah and it looks like happily ever after right? No, now Sheeni is getting sent to a French boarding school where her ex-boyfriend Trent (Jonathan Bradford Wright) is also a student. Nick does what any of us would do: recruits his new friend Vijay (Adhir Kalyan) to go and see her and her new roommate Taggarty (Rooney Mara, who played Nancy in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street) who is a bit...promiscuous. After those naked hijinks, they head back to Ukiah, and Nick comes up with a cunning and frankly fucked up plan to get Sheeni expelled.In the end, they throw the schizo into juvie. But I know you're all wondering if he gets laid? Well, I'm not going to tell you.
Ok ok he does. He also crossdresses!
The movie was so uneven. At some times you root for Nick and his massive mental problems. At other times, you wonder what the fuck is wrong with him, aside from the aforementioned mental problems. So, see it. Or don't. It wasn't too bad. Or too good.
- Tom
Official Trailer HERE.
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