Youth in Revolt

Written by Clarisse Loughrey Tuesday, 09 February 2010 13:23

Director: Miguel Arteta

Michael Cera has always been one of the Marmites of the acting world. But even those firmly on the hating side should give Youth in Revolt a chance. Although it has all the credentials of the typical Cera flick – awkward virgin tries to win over girl of his dreams – it is actually surprisingly deep.

Adapted from C.D. Payne’s cult classic novel by the same name, we enter the melancholy world of Nick Twisp (Cera), an aspiring novelist who has a little touch of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye about him. As Nick narrates, we hear his innermost thoughts and feel his frustrations at living in a world in which Steve Buscemi (playing his deadbeat dad George) manages to get laid while his son remains a virgin. In a desperate attempt to woo the love of his life Sheeni (Portia Doubleday), Nick creates a rebellious alter-ego, Francois (also played by Cera, but with added moustache).

Youth In Revolt can be seen as Cera’s first steps in breaking out of the mould created by Juno and Superbad. There are still traces of his trademark nervousness, but his relatively deadpan delivery hides a sharp intellect and morose nature, proving that he isn’t necessarily a one-trick pony.

When tackling the alter-ego Francois, Cera captures the essence of the French (Sheeni’s love of all things French inspires Francois’ creation) without the dodgy accent: world-weary and rude, Francois delivers sharp quips while puffing his cigarette. The interaction between the two makes for some entertaining dialogue as Nick swings between admiration and disgust at Francois’ delinquent ways.

Before this starts to sound too much like a roller-coaster of angst, it’s time to mention that this film is hilarious. Featuring some truly memorable scenes and dialogue, it never sacrifices the emotional core of the plot for a cheap laugh - except perhaps for the strangely recurring theme of being trapped outdoors wearing only underwear, but, to be honest, that’s always funny.

Its attempt, however, to secure itself within the 'indie' teen comedy market is perhaps the one thing which lets the film down. Inevitably, this means we are drowned in a myriad of cutesy folk tracks, apparently appropriate for any possible situation in life. On top of this, director Miguel Arteta sprinkles various artistic flourishes throughout, a favourite being slow-motion, which only has varying success. The most notable of these quirks, however, are the animated sequences. Each is created in a different style and, although charming and inventive in themselves, they seem a little out of place with the serious character of Nick.

Lastly, some advice. Don’t make the same mistake I did and spend large proportions of the film wondering whether Michael Cera’s legs are actually that disproportionately long or whether it is the result of his high-waist trousers. It gets distracting after a while and the film itself is far more interesting!

4/5

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