Review of Young Adult (2011) by David Q — 06 Jan 2013

"Young Adult" is a very strange film for me; it's a black comedy that succeeds far more at being bleak than actually being funny. Of course, that's probably the point, and the movie's entertaining enough.

Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gay, a former Alpha Bitch who has grown up to be a successful writer of young adult fiction. (Technically; she's a ghost writer, really, although her name is in the back flap). One day she gets an e-mail from an ex-boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) about his new baby, and she is suddenly bound and determined to win him back, despite the fact that he's happily married to Beth (Elizabeth Reaser).

Mavis remains unaware of how terrible her plan is until she meets up with former classmate, Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), who was the victim of a "hate crime" because a group of jocks thought he was gay. The two never really talked in high school (despite being locker neighbors all four years), but Matt soon becomes the closest thing to a friend Mavis has.

Although the film is a comedy, it's not all that tremendously funny, choosing to emphasize more on the dramatic aspects of the story. In all honesty, I'd go so far to say that this really isn't a comedy at all, just a drama about some people who happen to be funny in real life. This works out in the movie's favor, however.

Unlike Diablo Cody's "Juno", the characters in "Young Adult" aren't unrealistically witty people, always ready with a one-liner or snappy comeback. They're people who are naturally funny without really trying to be. They say funny things, but they're also capable of saying dumb things or being at a loss for words.

Adding to this air of credibility are Patton Oswalt and Charlize Theron's great performances; they really sell their parts and disappear into their roles. Patrick Wilson is also very good, although he's not given much to do.

Much has been made of the film's ending, and yes, there will be spoilers in this paragraph. Some have complained that Mavis essentially remains the same character throughout the film, and to them I say- so what? That's clearly the point of the movie. If I were to make one complaint (and it is a valid one), it would be that the movie teases us with a complete reversal, only for Matt's sister Sandra (Collette Wolfe) to fuck it all up in two minutes. It feels forced, and really was unnecessary.

Ok, spoilers over. "Young Adult" is very much a character study, more about people than about plot. And for what it is, it's very good. It's just not as entertaining as I had hoped.