Youth in Revolt

Jan 2010, Miguel Arteta, 90 mins

Michael Cera, the Prince of the Hipster Comedy generation, continues to find ways to avoid the pretentiousness that has clouded this genre over the past few years. With the passing of Juno and the stumbling of Nick and Norah and Away We Go, the "I’m-too-cool-to-do-anything" movie mantra had seemed to slip the way of the torture-porn-horror industry. But, young Michael is just too much fun to find fault with. He is not a Shakespearian actor or the re-birth of Sir Lawrence Oliver, but he is a palatable leading guy.

Youth in Revolt is a fun little feature that fights an uphill battle and wins. A rough start, headlined by the all too overdone masturbation scene followed by a whiney teenage introspective voice-over left the viewer with a sprouting headache. However, insert a strong supporting cast led by Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, and Zack Galifinakis and you have the grounds for a solid comedy; Youth got even better as time passed.

The boyish nerd summer love story, again not the most original, is then turned on its head as the script takes you on a journey that at some points feels like a comedy version of Taxi Driver. In order to be with the girl of his dreams, Nick Twisp (Cera) conjures up an alternate personality, François Dillinger. François, a chain-smoking, mustache sporting man (also played by Cera), is a hilarious counter to Nick’s mild mannered existence.

The biggest surprise was that I was really ready for this movie to suck. I’m very against being told what to laugh about. Watching teenagers go through “coming of age” situations has run its course. It takes near perfect versions of these stories to keep you from banging your head on the seat in front of you. However, Youth in Revolt finds the perfectly balanced ground between a Holden Caulfield-esque character and the hilarity of Superbad.

Lost in the box office woods that is Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, and a certain Squeakuel, it’s unlikely Youth will find much of an audience during its theatrical run. It’s a shame. The film has the makings of a fun, semi-cult classic that today’s 14-20 year olds could play for years to come in co-ed filled dorm rooms.