"Young Adult" Movie Review

YOUNG ADULT

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser

Rating: R (U.S.) 14A (Canada)

Warnings: Language and Some Sexual Content

Length: 94 Minutes

Studio(s): Paramount, Mandate Pictures

Points of Interest: None



WHAT I LOVED:

- Charlize Theron's performance as a bottoming out alcoholic divorcee clinging to her glory days is excellent, and keeps the movie briskly moving forward!

- The writing is really quite exceptional, managing to find the occasional bit of humour even in such a dreary subject.

- The movie doesn't fall back on cliches, which is quite refreshing, considering the state of movies like this one nowadays.

- The amount of detail put into the subtext and atmosphere of Young Adult is really surprisingly impressive, and a definite treat for analyzers!


WHAT I DIDN'T SO MUCH...:

- The movie lacks resolution, which seems to be somewhat intentional, but it has the aftertaste of feeling like it hasn't really accomplished anything when the end credits roll.

- This isn't nearly as funny as director, Jason Reitman and writer, Diablo Cody's last team-up effort, Juno.

- If you don't like analyzing a movie, the plot of Young Adult is kind of impenetrable, and it's difficult to really get a concise final opinion on it.


AND HERE'S THE FULL REVIEW:

Oh goodie! Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody have teamed up again! Their last effort, Juno, closed out 2007 with a bang, and kickstarted the career of Ellen Page, so surely their next effort will be just as enjoyable, right? Well, I've got to be honest with you. I had a hard time really grasping how I felt about the final product of their new movie, Young Adult, for a while actually, which doesn't often happen to me. Generally, I'm pretty sharp at telling how well-made a movie is, and how I feel about it by the time the end credits roll. YA however proved to be a more challenging piece for me to absorb. On one hand, this is a good thing, because it really draws attention to the open-ended interpretation and immense amount of detail put into the movie's creative subtext, which defies dumbing itself down with predictable cliches so that it's easier for the audience to process. On the other hand though, YA will probably leave most viewers confused and wondering how to feel about it, much like I am. This is because the movie's conclusion and buildup lacks any kind of real resolution. To put it in simple terms, YA feels like more of a character study than a plot-driven film. If you love character studies and analyzing personalities, this means that you will really love this movie, because there's loads to analyze here. If you're coming for the story though, you'll probably be disappointed, because YA achieves the rare feat of having an extraordinary amount of detail in its presentation and message, and yet at the same time, its plot is so small and inconsequential, never really achieving anything definite in the end. It sort of makes YA's commentary moot when the movie sort of fails to achieve any kind of closure, even though that seems to be the idea that Diablo Cody was going for when she wrapped up the script. Some might accuse YA of being clumsy and pretentious, but I think that the latter criticism holds more water than the former, since YA is more strangely put together than clumsy to me, and there is a difference. Yes, some people will get a bit bothered by the movie's pretense, which is bound to happen in any quotes, 'feel bad' movie, but, like I said, you don't see a movie written by Diablo Cody, and expect a bunch of hackneyed, predictable content. So, I will say this about YA. I found the movie moreso intriguing than enjoyable, though I didn't hate it at the same time. I smiled at the funnier bits, and I definitely appreciated the incredible performance of Charlize Theron in the lead role. That said though, compared to Juno, YA is much less funny, and offers much less comfort to the audience. You almost feel uncomfortable at times watching and giggling at the movie, because it's basically about a human trainwreck. This is a movie that you watch to appreciate the vision over being entertained, but it's a good vision, despite some of its flaws, so if you want something a little different and easy to study for a while so that you can offset the onslaught of flashy blockbusters that the end of 2011 delivered, YA is worth checking out.

Characters: (7/10) - YA really knows where its priorities are, since there's only two characters that are really given any kind of attention. There is of course our lead, Mavis Gary, a former queen bee of the high school circuit, battling a divorce and alcoholism, while she stumbles into her childhood hometown of Mercury, Minnesota, a fictional little nowheresville. Most of the movie centers on Mavis, though we also get our key supporting character in the mix quite a bit as well, Matt Freehauf. Matt is forced to walk on crutches for the rest of his life (think you might have hit that symbolism a little hard there, Diablo), after a group of high school jocks cornered him in the woods and beat him to the point of shattering his legs and... permanently curving his penis. Ok, I have to get this off my chest now. I call bullshit on the penis-curving. The movie keeps trying to wring sympathy out of this penis-curving injury that Matt has sustained, claiming that he can't really take a lover anymore, or that he has to, "piss and cum sideways for the rest of his life." Elementary sex ed knowledge however dictates that this isn't really scientifically, physically or medically possible! Maybe the injury is just poorly explained in the movie, but getting a literal, permanent "penis curve" doesn't really work, because there's no bones in the penis. I know that referencing bones in relation to a penis is common, but it's one of the most ironic sexual colloquialisms in existence, because the penis actually doesn't have a skeleton, it's just a flexible tube of flesh and muscle most of the time. Warped erections may be possible from muscle damage, but the penis is not perpetually solid, nor does it have bone structure, so you can't permanently curve it, especially not with blunt force. Again, maybe it's just not explained well, but Matt would have you believe that there's a permanent curve in it, and whenever he gripes about it, the men in the audience will facepalm rather than exhibit sympathy, because Diablo Cody clearly doesn't have a great understanding of how a penis actually works, should she be meaning the character to be truthful! Ok, phew, that feels better. My point is, Matt as a character somewhat fails to create pathos, because his injury and the circumstances behind it are so far-fetched. He even claims that the people who assaulted him got off scot free once it was made apparent that Matt wasn't a homosexual, which doesn't make any sense. I suppose one possible explanation is that he's lying or exaggerating about what happened, but like I said, the character in general feels obnoxious and like Diablo Cody's trying too hard to get a rise out of the audience. Thankfully, Mavis is handled a lot better. Unlike Matt, Mavis's character turns and mannerisms are subtle. She's a much better realization of the age-old Hollywood rule, "Show, don't tell", and that makes her character much more enjoyable to watch and analyze. Mavis reveals surprisingly little about herself throughout the movie, other than that she was popular in high school, and ghost writes a young adult literature series that is on the brink of cancellation. The rest is said by her unspoken actions and living habits, and this chance to study such a sad sack of a human being is where YA really shines best. The object of Mavis' affections, her ex-boyfriend, Buddy Slade, who is now married and has a child, is also given some added screentime, but he's more of a plot device than a full character. All he exists to do is try to take Mavis' destitution in good humour, and give her something to go after while she's lounging around aimlessly in her hometown. Beyond Mavis and Matt, none of the other characters really register, which can sometimes be a problem with these character study movies. This is a drawback of YA that would have made the movie a failure, were it not for the incredible performances of Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt, and I'll get to these in the appropriate paragraph. YA may succeed as a character study, if we're to take the movie as an account of Mavis' descent into alcoholism and despair, but as a character-driven drama, it stumbles frequently, since it doesn't really give meaning or personality to any other character, and the one character that IS given added development, consistently comes off as a nuisance. Thankfully, Mavis alone is enough to carry things, which is why it's wise that the movie generally tends to focus on her and only her. Too bad those scenes with Matt weren't more interesting though.

Acting: (8/10) - YA is definitely a movie to see if you want to appreciate some exceptional performances. Charlize Theron dominates the piece in the lead role of Mavis Gary, a late thirtysomething woman who is drowning in depression and liquor, faced with the impending extinction of the only real accomplishment she's ever made in her life, after her husband (whom we never see beyond a quick photograph) has left her. In a fit of desperation, she returns to her hometown to try and rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, Buddy, who is now happily married with a new baby. Patrick Wilson plays Buddy with his usual easy charm, but since the focus is so heavily on Mavis, he really isn't given a lot to do. He just seems to be going through the motions for much of the movie, but it's not really his fault, because he's playing a bit of a shallow character. Theron is generally there to pick up the slack, but the one actor I truly feel for is Patton Oswalt, who is saddled with the movie's irritating supporting character. Oswalt actually does a pretty great job in the role of Matt Freehauf, considering what he has to work with. He has to take an asinine injury and an equal dependence on clinging to his high school years, the antithesis of the popular queen bee, Mavis, and somehow make that appealing. Oswalt makes Matt tolerable, even if the heavy-handed writing sometimes makes the character feel grating. Oswalt is a very talented comedian, and anyone else in the part wouldn't have succeeded so well, so rather than getting an irritating supporting character that we hate, we get an irritating supporting character that we manage to mostly tolerate, so it could be worse. None of the other actors really seem to leave any impact one way or the other unfortunately. Elizabeth Reaser does virtually nothing in the role of Buddy's wife, Beth, since she's given even less to do than her onscreen husband. Most of the movie entirely centers on Mavis, which could get Charlize Theron some more attention during Award Season, since she's forced to carry an entire movie, which also happens to be a cliche-defiant 'feel bad' film on top of that. Theron is an excellent actress though, and this further proves that. She tells us so much about Mavis even when she says very little, and you can tell that she has put loads into perfectly realizing this performance. If you're a fan of Theron, you must absolutely see this movie for her performance alone!

Stunts: N/A

Special Effects/Animation: N/A

Set Pieces: N/A

Costumes: N/A

Story: (6/10) - This is the point of YA that is probably really going to divide people. The subtext of the plot is brilliant, and the amount of detail is impressive, so from an analytical viewpoint, YA is superb. From the viewpoint of telling a story on the big screen though, YA sort of falls apart, because the story itself is kind of minimal, and at times even directionless, despite Mavis' obsessive quest for Buddy, which she just abandons at several points to go drinking with Matt, more than once. YA is a great character study, but as a comedy and a drama, it feels lacking, because there's lots of character development to munch on with Mavis, but not a lot of plot to wash it down with. Anyway, I've already mostly described what the movie is about. Young adult literature ghost writer, Mavis Gary, is bottoming out after her divorce, and is now faced with the impending cancellation of her book series. In a last ditch effort to make something of her life, she travels back to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota, to try and restart a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Buddy Slade, who now has a wife and child. Mavis is continually under the delusion that Buddy is unhappy with his new life, but the final resolution here and everywhere else feels rather unsatisfying. I was surprised that a movie with as much impressive character detail as this one could leave so little an impression in terms of its story. Some will feel that the story is not necessary, and that the movie is more about following Mavis around as her life comes apart at the seams, but those actually expecting a plotline, will no doubt feel let-down by the final product here, which doesn't really waste much time having a structured 'story'.

Length/Editing: (8/10) - Jason Reitman's direction once again captures a good length for YA, without it overstaying its welcome, and considering the movie's tendency to meander around, he still manages to capture a reasonably good sense of pacing. Were it any longer, and in the hands of a lesser director, YA would probably feel like an aimless, shiftless mess, so like Juno, it's kind of a testament to how well Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody work as a team. Sure, Juno is still a better movie, but at least YA is still put together with a reasonable amount of polish, and the 94-minute length is pretty reasonable.

Genre Appeal: (7/10) - Again, as a character study, YA is very well-done and a must-see. If you're going in expecting a straight comedy or a straight drama though, you'll probably be let-down. While there are still several bits of inspired humour, YA lacks humour compared to the more entertaining Juno, so it doesn't really stand well as a comedy, even a dark comedy. Likewise, as a drama, the movie lacks structure and a real sense of emotion with most of its characters, so unless you're only really invested in learning about Mavis, you'll probably feel that much of YA's attempted sentiment, especially from supporting character, Matt's end, feels hollow. If you're mainly watching the movie for Charlize Theron though, you should enjoy YA as a real testament to her talents, and how well she can make just about any kind of character come alive.

Re-watch Value: (7/10) - If you get a kick out of analyzing complex characters in these movies, YA may merit some subsequent viewings, and if you love either Diablo Cody or Jason Reitman, it probably still deserves a spot in your DVD collection, even if it's not quite up to the standard set by movies like Juno, Up in the Air, and Thank You For Smoking.

Conclusion- YA is a bit of an odd duck, as is generally expected with anything that Diablo Cody has written, and Jason Reitman has directed. The vision is undeniably creative, but as a writer, Cody's defiance against traditional storytelling structure and techniques can be both her greatest strength, and her most unfortunate weakness. Sometimes, Cody's tendency to be a maverick can result in great movies like Juno, which firmly stand apart by taking a predictable premise and making it both surprisingly creative, and highly entertaining, even during its darker moments. On the other hand though, sometimes Cody's stubborn desire to defy any known convention can also make her movies bogged down by impenetrable storylines that are just too difficult to invest in because they're so surreal, and that's when you get movies like Jennifer's Body, which is generally agreed to be, to date, Cody's biggest written misfire. I still don't know how I feel about Jennifer's Body to be quite honest, even after attempting a review of it when a friend and I saw the film out of morbid curiosity back in 2009. YA avoids the dreaded Jennifer's Body syndrome of just being weird and twisted to the point where it's impossible to really wrap your head around the whole spectacle, but it falls well short of the standard set by both Cody's and Reitman's previous works too, because it still suffers from a lack of narrative structuring and resolution, especially with most of its cast failing to make any kind of impression. All of this movie's eggs were put into Charlize Theron's basket, and thankfully, she wonderfully rises to the occasion to deliver yet another hallmark performance that may get her some more awards to take home when the season kicks off. As I've repeatedly said, if you're a fan of Charlize Theron, and you're seeing YA for her, you should be very pleased. If you just love dissecting a complex character piece, YA should also give you plenty to sink your teeth into as well. Ironically though, YA doesn't really succeed as a comedy or a drama, even if it's an excellent character study, so if you're approaching this unconventional movie with conventional tastes, you'll probably feel let-down by the final product. As my motto goes, know your expectations! YA is a movie driven by plenty of character commentary and an excellent lead performance. If you're willing to put aside a bias towards a certain genre and go for those reasons, you should reasonably enjoy YA. If you're not in the market for either of those things though, move along. December brought many other great movies to the big screen this year that you could be watching instead, so if you could care less about interpreting your movies, there are far better uses of your valuable time on the big screen right now.



FINAL SCORE: 72% "GOOD"

FINAL VERDICT: "Young Adult is a movie driven almost exclusively by the excellent performance of Charlize Theron, and all of the commentary she brings to a character bottoming out in alcoholism and despair. If you enjoy picking apart character studies like this, and appreciating a great lead performance while you're at it, Young Adult has plenty to say, but as far as conventional genres, plot and character arcs go, there's surprisingly little here, leaving Young Adult squarely for the studious moviegoer. If that's not you, you're probably better off seeing something else."