Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis, Ray Liotta, Justin Long, Steve Buscemi
Directed by Miguel Artera
Rated: R
Run Time: 90 mins
Genre: Comedy
3.5 frames out of 5
Teenage years can be hellish but add in trashy parents and the inability to get laid… time to revolt.
Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) is a timid, nerdy teenager that has an above average vocabulary and whose tastes in music are not of his own generation. His life is far from ideal. It seems like everyone around him is getting laid. His mom (Jean Smart) and her latest boyfriend, Jerry (Zach Galifianakis) are of the jerry Springer-esq lifestyle and are constantly humping. When Jerry pisses off 3 sailors by selling them a lemon of a car, they take off on a mini vacation to a trailer park. When they get there, as Nick is on his way to the community showers, he meets the girl of his dreams, Sheeny Saunders (Portia Doubleday). Sheeny is everything that Nick has ever wanted in a girl- she’s smart, beautiful and has a penchant for everything French.
Nick realizes that he’s far from the man that Sheeny would want as she wants someone that is bad. Very Bad. To help win Sheeny over, Nick creates an alternate persona in Francois Dillinger, the hip badass version of his that he wishes that he could be for real. Francois helps Nick deal with all sorts of situations and helps create utter chaos in Nick’s quest to win Sheeny.
If you think back to the teen sex comedies over the past 5 years or so, in terms of hilarity, Youth In Revolt does a good job. It takes the awkwardness of Michael Cera/ teenage-dom and keeps it semi-clean in terms of what you see on screen. Director Michael Artera does a clever job of making the raunchiness of sex and drug use not as sever as he uses claymation, puppets and cartoons to drive the point home.
Things to watch for: Any scene with Paul Saunders (Justin Long) is absolute comedy perfection, Francois Dillinger, Michael Cera cross-dressing, the mushroom scene and Thanksgiving Dinner with the Saunders Family.
Who should see this movie: Kids 16 & older, Young Adults, Fans of the more raunchy comedies. Fans of Michael Cera. Warning to parents of small children – this is a Rated R movie with more mature themes so it is strongly suggested to leave the kiddies at home.
See it in the Theater or Rent it on DVD: If you go see it in the theater, see it with a full house – movies like this are always funnier with a crowd.
