Review: Youth in Revolt

I could do without seeing Michael Cera playing the same role for the umpteenth time. Even though he's good at it, and has played that selfsame character in a handful of my favorite films of the last few years, my desire was to see him play someone with an edge. Youth in Revolt grants him that opportunity, although "edge" is in this case is decidedly thin, French, and flaky.

Cera plays Nick Twisp, which sounds like it could be either an obscure character from a Charles Dickens' or a refugee from a Nickelodeon cartoon. Nick is an exceedingly bright, well-read wuss. Not a small feat given his immediate influences. His mother(Jean Smart) is a past her prime, white trash trailer queen with a string of random douche boyfriends(Zack Galifanakis, Ray Liotta). His dad(Steve Buscemi) lives with his hot, 20-ish girlfriend, but can scarcely meet her needs as he's no longer employed. Nick might seem like your typical screen high school virgin who just wants to get laid, but he isn't. Maybe influenced by his parents' superficial relationships, he wants the real deal for himself.

His dreams seem well on their way to fruition when he takes a sudden trip to the appropriately titled Rusty Axles trailer park for vacation. There he meets the beautiful Sheeni Saunders(Portia Doubleday), who's first name could be a descriptive term as far as Nick is concerned. She's hyper intelligent, gorgeous, and a little bit rebellious. Her parents are stifling in their religious fervor. They strongly disapprove of her relationship with Nick, who doesn't look like he could rip a wet paper towel, much less cause any family grief. Faced with the prospect of separation at the end of his vacation, Nick and Sheeni propose a devious scheme to be reunited. Nick will cause so much trouble that his mother will be forced to kick him out to live with his father. 

Thus Nick creates an alternate persona. A manipulative, pencil mustached lothario named Francois. He's everything Nick is not. Rude, vengeful, and aggressive. He hides behind a pair of sunglasses that seem glued to his face like a mask. Francois's emergence sets this film into overdrive, pulling in elements from some classic 80's sex comedies and coming of age stories.

Youth in Revolt is based on the C.D. Payne series of novels, told mostly in scrapbook, documentary style. The fim version mostly abandons this approach, although both central characters do keep diaries on their many misadventures. This version does maintain Nick's rogueish persona. The real standout here is Sheeni, who some will liken to Ellen Page's character in Juno, although she's got a bit more of an edge to her. She's more wild child than cynical observer. It's easy to see why Nick falls for her so quickly, and why he makes some idiotic and dangerous decisions in order to win her.

This is Michael Cera's show, though, and the film lives and dies on how well he handles this dual role. Francois wouldn't be nearly as funny without the spectre of Cera's past roles hanging over him. Because Nick and Cera are so similar(atleast based on what we think we know of Cera's personality), everytime Francois accosts someone, or blows something up, or gets into a fight I kept thinking about this being Michael Cera lookin' like a badass. The thought alone has me smiling even now, it's so absurd. If I have any problem at all with the film it's that the supporting cast gets lost in the shuffle a little bit. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I wanted more Fred Willard as the activist neighbor. I'll probably never write that I want more Fred Willard again for as long as I live, but there you go.

A hilarious, ill-tempered romp that is definitely worth checking out.
7/10