Young Adult is littered with hilariously awkward exchanges and situations, and though it is a very funny film, it feels odd to call this film a comedy. As a fan of The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm, which achieve success in making embarrassing situations an odd delight to watch, this was certainly right up my alley. The film is slightly skewed from reality, but still close enough to evoke a viewer to shift uncomfortably. Mavis insensitively calls Matt 'hate crime guy', and in her attempts to impress Buddy, meticulously dolls herself up with a pedicure and manicure and thick layers of make-up. The laughs do dry up in the second half, as the situations become even more cringe inducing and the dramatic arcs of the story take shape.
Theron again proves why she is one of the best actresses working today, delivering her most Oscar-worthy work since Monster. She carries this film, teasing at her character’s traits (pulling incessantly at her hair, for example) and convincingly relays that Mavis is a scornful, ungrateful and embittered juvenile. She genuinely does look drunk all of the time. It’s an incredibly bold portrayal, especially considering that most viewers will loathe her rudeness, her self-centeredness and her misguided agenda – but yet she still manages to draw sympathy. It’s incredible. Also effective is Patton Oswalt, portraying another unique and well-written character. The scenes he shares with Theron work, not only because of their odd chemistry, but because in a sad way, they are really funny. Not quite as well developed is Patrick Wilson's character, a conventional family-man still finding himself intrigued by Mavis' allure.
START SPOILERS: The next couple of paragraphs delve into the ending, which is really the only reason I took issue with the film and rated it as I did.
What is disappointing is that following one of the most outrageous sequences in the final act (some Theron acting gold), the point when this no-hold-barred character study hits a surprisingly new level of miserablism, it then kind of fizzles out. We aren’t really sure whether Mavis, following this embarrassing outburst where she realizes she seriously needs to consider making a change, is going to seek a path of redemption back to healthy lifestyle. Judging her solely on her natural personality, I expected her to remain horrible, but because I had developed such sympathy for this tremendously sad and insufferable human being, I hoped she would be able to get her life back together.
A conversation with Matt’s sister Sandra (Collette Wolfe) – where she encourages Mavis not to change her life, claiming that everyone in Mercury looks up to Mavis’ big-city life and material success as a novelist - is the very last thing this woman needs. Yet she completely embraces it, accepting it as sound advice. It seems like her path is set. Then comes the disappointingly cliched resolution where Mavis finally has the motivation to finish the final book as a result of her experiences in Mercury, all but closing her character in the novels – and suggesting that her prolonged adolescence, the one she has been fueling for her novels and now is stuck in, is over. But is it? The ambiguous way Mavis sways between these two paths, I didn't find satisfying at all. The film needed a different closing shot, one that should have produced some sort of emotion. It really was disappointing, to have laughed so much and been made to feel so uncomfortable, only to be let down by such a bizarre resolution.
END SPOILERS
Still, through the pen of Diablo Cody (a screenplay very likely to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay) and Charlize Theron’s impeccably unhinged tour-de-force of self-abuse, this is a top film well worth a look. Though I enjoyed Juno, I think this is the superior film. It has a bold edginess to it, it is funnier, has one of the most unforgettable lead characters to grace cinemas this year, and it has Theron, who deserves to be nominated for Best Actress. Shamefully, as it stands, this is unlikely to happen.
My Rating: ★★★1/2 (B)
Interesting. You and I both liked this but for different reasons. What we agree on, though, is that Theron was superb. Had I seen this last year she would undoubtedly have been in my list of best actress performances (and Oswalt in supporting actor, too).
ReplyDeleteIt seems a shame that because there was no push behind it there's a good chance a lot won't see it. I thought it was one of the better films I've watched recently.
Probably one of my favourite performance from a 2011 film. She was great. Yeah, it is playing in like one cinema in my city.
DeleteDidn't LOVE it but it was well done. Probably made me laugh more then any other movie of 2011, and it was a different kind of laugh. Theron was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI laughed a lot - and I was thinking today that this film is much funnier than Bridesmaids (which is a no holds-barred comedy, while this is a blend of dark comedy and drama) and features characters far more interesting - and concluded that i'll be frustrated if Bridesmaids is nominated for Best Original Screenplay and young Young Adult isn't. It's not a perfect screenplay and I expect Midnight in Paris, The Artist, A Separation, 50/50 and Win Win to figure in the mix - but I'd be happy to see Diablo Cody nominated for this (because in my opinion, it's better work than Juno).
DeleteI think after that conversation with the sister, she remained in her mental state. We rated Young Adult that exact thing. While I don't think I disliked it, I was that fond of it either. I think my favorite Reitman film remains 'Thank You for Smoking'. Theron should be the frontrunner in more best actress talks, but it will be Streep vs Davis vs Williams at the Oscars.
ReplyDeleteI'm an Up in the Air man. I love that film. I think this is second-tier Reitman - but made oddly memorable by Theron and Oswalt. I enjoy watching people embarrass themselves (I don't know why) so I found this to be really funny, and wanted to be sure she remained an absolute bitch. How bout a final shot of her throwing a diet coke can out of her window or something? Yeah, it seems like it is going to be between Streep/Davis/Williams, but I hope the fifth slot is a surprise (Rooney or Charlize!)
DeleteI'm so excited you've finally seen this so we can discuss that scene between Mavis and Matt's sister! Single most game changing scene of the year!
ReplyDeleteAnd I see what you're saying there when you say that Mavis accepts it as sound advice, because I think she does, but what I took away from that moment is the movie essentially enabling Mavis to continue her life as this wrecked, clueless monster. In the end, she really doesn't learn a damn thing. Which IS a depressing ending but, man, I don't know, that's bold filmmaking, don't you think? I thought that scene was just balls to the wall.
Yeah, I think this scene is undone by what follows - the conclusion of the novel, which makes it seem like she has learnt something, and like her character, is ready to grow up. Hold on, didn't she just accept that who she is now is fine? That's what that strange woman told her, anyway.
DeleteI was confused, and the film's closing shot did nothing to change my opinion. I think that table scene was very bold, and then it was suddenly very lazy. Overall, I still liked the film a lot, but I would have preferred a depressing ending to remain a depressing ending, without throwing ambiguity into the works. Usually, I like that, but not here.