Most films that are character driven have a seminal moment
for the protagonist in which the proverbial light goes on upstairs and everything changes. Flaws get ironed out, burned bridges get
rebuilt, and life gets that much better.
Jason Reitman films don’t fall into that category. He, the director of Up in the Air fame, has
no problem starting a film off in a dark place and constricting all movement to
within that space. In Young Adult, that
is precisely what he and writer Diablo Cody deliver to us.
The movie is about Mavis, the author of a soon to be completed
young adult series who has locked herself in a perpetual state of distorted
young adulthood – lacking any self-awareness and a detachment from the world
around her. This manifests in her desire
to rekindle a romance with her high school paramour Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), who is happily married and a new father. I could go on ad nauseum about the cliché
plotlines that are dissected in this film such as that of a person trying to
escape the small town blues; or an individual who can’t let go of their glorious high school past; et al because the plot is loaded with dysfunction and they are all cleverly
embodied by Charlize Theron’s Mavis.
Theron carries the movie – absolutely owning the role and
reveling in the complete lack of sense and sensibility that pervades each and
everyone one of Mavis’ actions. The
dynamic she shares with Patton Oswalt’s Matt is one of the key driving forces
to the plot. He serves as a most unlikely
sidekick for Mavis on her twisted journey down memory lane and acts as a moral
compass to a person upon whom morality has no bearing whatsoever. The movie itself ultimately hinges on the
depths to which Mavis will plunge to feed her delusion versus the question of
whether or not her character can be redeemed with Oswalt’s Matt immediately in tow.
This film is not for everyone. It is dark and the comedy is wry. It works that they take someone as beautiful
as Charlize Theron and make her far less attractive as a person. It is just not necessarily
pleasant to watch. If you’re looking for
the feel good movie of the year, you should go watch Moneyball. But if irony, angst, and cynicism are your
cup of tea, then this film should suit you just fine. With this caveat in mind, I would recommend Young Adult as a rental - although I would advise against viewing it on a happy occasion. This one may
leave you feeling a bit dirty after watching it.
Standout Performance: Charlize Theron does a nice job of completely disappearing into the role. Look for her next in Ridley Scott's much anticipated sci-fi project, Prometheus.
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