Young Adult Seethes with an Edge of Piss and Vinegar thanks to Charlize Theron

Young Adult (3 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air)

Written by Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer's Body)

Starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Patton Oswalt

In 2007 small film named Juno was released during the month of December from a writer/director pair that was not as well known.  Flash forward five years in the future where Jason Reitman is a hot director and is fresh off being a double Oscar nominee for writing/directing Up In Air.  Diablo Cody won an Oscar for her Juno script and she helped develop a television show on Showtime named the United States of Tara.  This year this team has collaborated on a film that solidifies their ability to create.  Together these two have created one very dark comedy.

Young Adult centers on Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) who is in her words an author, not a writer of "young adult" novels in the big city, Minneapolis.  Mavis is from a smaller city, Mercury which is also in Minnesota.  While checking her e-mail she receives an e-mail from a former flame Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) about the birth of his baby and she decides to return home to try and steal him back.  When she gets back home Mavis heads to the local shit hole bar in hopes to get Buddy to come meet her for a drink.  Buddy can't meet Mavis because he is taking care of his child, but Mavis runs into a loser from from her high school days Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt). 

While Reitman's direction is solid enough, this is his weakest piece of work I have seen to date.  Diablo Cody's screenplay while a bit stronger.  While watching this film this is so obviously the Cody's work.  This film just sounds like her.  Mavis even loves Maker's Mark the same drink she writes as a joke in Juno.  There was some brilliant dark comedic moments in this film like when Mavis's cousing jokingly refers to Mavis and Matt as Will and Grace.  The screenplay also does a strong job of highlighting a woman who will never be more than a young adult.

The best part of this film is the convincing job Charlize Theron does portraying this broken alcoholic woman who never grew up.  Mavis writes young adult books, she obsesses about her old high school boyfriend, and while living in the "big city" she still does not do the things there she mocks people in Mercury for.  Theron's beauty is apparent but she is one talented actress.  Theron has great chemistry with Oswalt.  They create one of the oddest and darkest duos of the year.  Oswalt gives a very strong performance as well.

While this film has it flaws, the road to the third act becomes a bit jumbled and more awkward than it needs to be.  This film bring dark humor to a different level.  This film proves that not only Theron a true bombshell, but that she can carry a variety of different material.

December: Must See Movies and Movies to Skip

It's the holiday season!  Last week around Thanksgiving time there were a lot of movies released, some were a slam dunk (The Muppets), some were just alright (My Week with Marilyn) and some completely missed the mark (J. Edgar).  December is starting out slow, taking a break from new major releases, partly because there were five plus films released last week.

December 2nd-Shame-Not Just something we all feel around Thanksgiving for eating too much


Shame is part of a rare club, the NC-17 club.  Shame is only opening in limited release, mainly New York and LA this Friday.  The film stars Michael Fasbender (the actor of the year, from the films-X-Men: First Class, A Dangerous Method, and Jane Eyre) as a sex addict.  The real reason I want to see this film is because looks excellent.  My shallow reason is because I want to see Fassbender naked.

See it: Shame (if you live in NYC or LA) otherwise catch one of the Thanksgiving films you missed like Hugo or The Muppets.

(Shame Trailer)

December 9th-Go see the film with that has the better Gary attached!


One of the films I am most excited about this month is Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy which stars Gary Oldman an espionage veteran forced out of retirement to find a soviet spy during the Cold War.  This is director Thomas Alfredson's follow up film to the Sweedish version of the film Let the Right One In, needless to say this should be awesome!

Gary Marshall is the other Gary who directed the film New Year's Eve; he has become inventive with his titles for films that center around holidays.  I will be dragged to see this (but Zac Effron makes up for it).

Young Adult has brought together the writer/director team that brought us Juno.  With Jason Reitman directing and Diablo Cody writing how can you go wrong.  Charlize Theron looks like she plays one badass sarcastic bitch in this film, and I love it!

The Sitter is Adventures in baby sitting, I am tired of Hollywood taking the premise of film and trying to trick people into thinking they have not made the movie before, it's been done!

We Need to Talk About Kevin is only opening for a week to qualify for the Oscars, but this film looks intense.  The film centers around a school shooting and the reaction of the perpetrators parents played by the under rated John C. Reilly and the brilliant Tilda Swinton.

See it: Everything but The Sitter, New Year's Eve will be bad but it will bring out the light holiday fun you will want for this time of year.

(Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer)

December 16th-Sequels that look bad and a play that looks like the adaptation from Broadway will not work.


Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows does not look good, and was Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked was not needed, but the studios needed money.  Carnage is based on the plays Gods of Carnage.  The cast for Carnage is great, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, and John C. Reilly, but the preview made me lose interest.

Skip it all!

(We Need to Talk About Kevin trailer)

December 23rd: Santa is bringing something for Everyone!


On December 21st Santa will bring on dark Christmas gift in the form of the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I read the book, and I do not drool over it the way most people do, but David Fincher looks like he did an amazing job with this film.

Santa knows some people like action so he is bringing Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or we were contractually obligated to have Tom Cruise star in this film.  JJ Abrams (producer( brought this series back to life with the third film.  Brad Bird is directing, and if you see this in IMAX you get to see something from The Dark Knight Rises...I may have to.

Santa knew he need to bring something animated and something for people who love horses, so he talked to Steven Spielberg (ironically) and we get two films from him.  The first is the animated film The Adventures of Tin Tin, which looks pretty good.  Spielberg is also adapting the Tony award winning play War Horse.  I think I would rather see the play because the style of the play with puppets seems like a cool concept, and I just don't feel anything strongly about this film from the preview, but I will force myself to see it.

Santa also knew we needed films that are Oscar bait, and he will be giving us that with the Stephen Daldry film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  Daldry has directed three films and received an Oscar nomination for each of them (in directing).  The film centers around 9/11 and stars two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock (I never thought I would write that).  The preview makes me tear up, thanks Santa!

Santa heard you wanted a puppy, but got you a whole zoo instead.  The Cameron Crowe film We Bought a Zoo which tells the story of a single father played by Matt Damon who moves away from his house with his kids and buys a house with a zoo.  This film continues the pattern of successful single dads movies like Moneyball, and The Descendants.  I love Crowe but this looks too sappy.

(The Adventures of Tin Tin Trailer)

Picks of the Month: Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy, Shame, Young Adult, and We Need to Talk about Kevin