Youth in Revolt (2009) User Reviews

"I'm going to wrap your legs around my head and wear you like the crown that you are."

[the_rattlesnake25 · 7/10 · 10 January 2010]

Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) is sixteen years old, his parents are separated, his closest friend his having a midlife crisis over thirty years too early and all he can think about is the fact that he hasn't lost his virginity yet. He is almost the common replica of the stereotypical teenage boy, except for the fact that he enjoys the films of Fellini and Godard. Everything changes however for Nick when a brief, chance move from his lonely hometown of Oakland to a religious mobile trailer park in the small city of Ukiah brings him face to face with Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) – who is unequivocally the love of his life. But when his family moves back to Oakland, Nick must invent a supplementary 'bad-boy' persona within himself named Francois (he has a moustache, and enjoys the occasional smoke), who would be willing to cause the mayhem Nick wouldn't. Francois's central objective is to get Nick kicked out of his dysfunctional home in Oakland, which he shares with his emotionally fragile mother (Jean Smart), and reunited with Sheeni, with the intention of living happily ever after (while also losing his virginity).

'Youth in Revolt', is another hip, quirky comedy in which Michael Cera is given centre-stage in which to showcase abilities, however, he must tread cautiously in the future as he is dangerously close to becoming typecast (Superbad, Juno) as the desolate, yet intellectual teenage boy just looking to release his sexual burden. Cera and Doubleday carry the film along nicely, and provide some very humorous on-screen chemistry, especially during the sequences involving very awkward circumstances – i.e. when Nick is asked to place a small amount of sun cream on Sheeni's back during a trip to the beach. Portia Doubleday in particular shines as unknown actress thrust into the supporting actress slot alongside Michael Cera. She works with a particular grace, and maturity that makes her performance at times overshadow that of the experience Cera.

While aside from these two characters, Arteta's film also has an extensive A-list cast on show who take a backseat to the main story and occasionally chime in during the various convoluted sub-plots on show. Steve Buscemi is Nick's jobless father George Twisp, Zack Galifianakis is Nick's mothers first boyfriend Jerry who should never be let out around the Navy, and Ray Liotta plays Officer Wescott, a fascist policeman who also starts dating Nick's mother and becomes somewhat responsible for Nick's downfall. Fred Willard (Mr Ferguson), Justin Long (Paul Saunders) and M. Emmet Walsh (Mr Saunders) also make an appearance in the extensive cast. Despite this list containing the 'whose who' of Hollywood Boulevard, I was surprised to see that certain narrative arcs were ignored. For instance, if the relationship between Nick and his father was expanded upon, it would have provided further substance to the film and the characters themselves. Though, unfortunately we are left filling in the majority of the gaps ourselves.

Miguel Arteta has created a very funny and witty film in 'Youth in Revolt,' that despite having its flaws and areas in which it could have improved upon, ultimately prevails as another competent coming-of-age teen-flick that is centred around the holiest of teenage sanctities: sexual intercourse. The amusing remarks, awkward sexual situations, and hardcore French supplementary personas are all there creating another comfortable vehicle for Cera, to drive to a French Boarding School.

Losing one's virginity, with a little help from one's alter ego

[Chris Knipp · 7/10 · 3 December 2009]

'Youth in Revolt' adapts the first three volumes of C.D. Payne's six-book series about Nick Twist, a smart and, in his own opinion anyway, more-than-usually horny 14-year-old in Oakland ("a large, torpid city across from San Frandisco") who reports in daily journal form on a series of adventures encountered on the way to losing his virginity, despite the obstacles set up by his irresponsible divorced parents. Ironically, though pointed at today's young teens, 'Revolt's' R rating excludes them -- though the books are far more sexually explicit. Whether somehow this will become a cult movie via Netflix is hard to say. It's pretty faithful to the books, leaving out lots, but adding or changing little. Unfortunately Arteta's flat direction, and focus on the action aspects -- an accident, a fire, a botched fake suicide, invasion of the girls' dorm of a French-language prep school in Santa Cruz -- excises much of the self-satisfied wit of the books and Nick's one flourish, his intellectual and literary showing off. The film necessarily loses the flavor of a day-to-day-journal, though most of the characters tend to talk in the same ornate, overly-polite style as Nick's entries.

C.D. Payne is no Salinger. His books serve as page-turners for young readers, but they're nothing special. There's a curious sense of being out of time. Is this the Nineties, when the books were begun?-- or the youth of Payne himself, who was born in 1949? Nick's girlfriend Sheeni (Portia Doubleday)'s fascination with Belmondo, chanteur Serge Gainsbourg, and the existentialists, -- and the general innocence of the behavior -- would suggest earlier days, but in the movie, people have cell phones, and a prevalance of 'shrooms and blunts makes this post-Breathless (francophile Sheeni's favorite movie). The main point was to keep the incidents coming, and Payne went on with "The Further Journals" and finally the adventures of Twist's younger brother.

Young Canadian actor Michael Cera, the star of Miguel Arteta's adaptation of this movie, who's now twenty-one, was already a TV veteran before he was ten. Though he appeared in many episodes of the cable series "Arrested Development," and in retrospect we realize he played the young Chuck Barris in George Clooney's droll ramble 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' he reached a kind of nerdy, adorable mega-stardom only a couple years ago with two big hits, 'Juno' and 'Superbad,' followed by the equally charming if less seen 'Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.'

What has Mike done with his stardom? Well, he played opposite Jack Black in Harold Ramis' slapstick (and generally panned) prehistoric comedy 'Year One' and co-starred with his now ex-girlfriend Charlene Yi in the poorly received 'Paper Heart.'

Cera has good timing and is adept at delivering lines, which makes him well suited for comedy. His limitations in other areas appear in this new outing. He's both the hero and voice-over narrator, Nick Twist and Nick's bolder and more dashing imaginary alter ego, Francois, who goads him on to bolder action. There is a certain nonchalance in the flat style. Under ideal circumstances it might seem elegant. If you could be nerdy and cool at the same time Michael Cera is it, and girls do find him cute. He rarely appears anything but relaxed. But the high-pitched voice is inexpressive. The range is from A to B, and this is highlighted by how little success Cera has in making Francois seem any different from Nick, despite a little mustache, tight pants, and a lot of cigarettes (amusingly, puffed on even while running fast through the woods, while Nick lags clumsily behind). With this new performance, Cera continues to seem enormously appealing, but for conventional starring roles, cripplingly limited. He's just too pale and bland and androgynous, and the more he's cast as a horny guy the more far-fetched that seems. Anything with him in it seems de-fanged.

Maybe it doesn't matter. You either get it or you don't, and there are plenty of young readers who insist these are "the best books ever." This is as good a time as any for some lighthearted teenage adventures. (The adaptation was co-written by Gustin Nash, the guy who did 'Charlie Bartlett,' a so-so movie about a young high school entrepreneur starring Anton Yelchin.)

'Youth in Revolt' casts some veritable cult actors, who include M. Emmett Walsh as Sheeni's born-again-Christian dad and Mary Kay Place as her mom, Steve Buscemi as Nick's dad, Ray Liotta as a cop who gets involved with his floozy mom (Jean Smart). But the presence of such memorable thespians only emphasizes how little developed their characters are. I liked relative newcomer Adhir Kalyan as Veejay, Nick's erudite school friend and fellow would-be seducer of women: he gives his lines some juice. Best of all is Justin Long, who slides into the scene as Sheeni's sly older brother. He is the only unexpected character. Long can always do a lot with a small part, and when he gets a bigger one, like in Raimi's recent old-fashioned horror movie 'Drag Me to Hell,' he can be equally appealing. And there are others, such as comedy veteran Fred Willard as an excessively good-hearted neighbor.

The director, Miguel Arteta, did annoying but memorable work with writer Mike White in 'Chuck and Buck,' and the pair made something very droll in 'The Good Girl.' One wonders if Arteta was the ideal person to do this job. He seems just to be walking through it.

The Eighties were the time of the movies that celebrated youth and its many voices, ranging from S.E. Hinton and 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' to the dark Alpha Girl portraiture of 'Heathers,' and John Hughes' classics. This lacks their warmth and bite.

But I still like Cera, and as has been said by a preview audience member, "His fans will be in heaven" with this.

Decent (and not raunchy) spin on R-rated coming-of-age comedy

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 7/10 · 9 January 2010]

Before you ever see the first shot of "Youth in Revolt," you know what's going on. A repetitive motion sound is heard as well as the flipping of pages. Nick Twisp (Cera) is masturbating and almost everyone in the theater knows it. Now that's testament to how far the R-rated comedy sexual revolution has come over the last decade, so it's not surprising to see a film so unabashed about teenage sex let alone one whose entire plot is driven by a teenager's zealous appetite to shed his virginity.

The always soft-spoken and awkwardly verbose Cera plays yet another character that fits his mold in Twisp, a teenager with divorced parents who loves Fellini films and vintage vinyl and really, really wants to get laid. It's a semi-romantic aspiration as well, but the depths to which he'll let his hormones take him is at times even implausibly absurd.

On vacation with his mother (Jean Smart) and her lover Jerry (Zach Galifianakis of "The Hangover"), Nick meets a perfect match in the daughter of two devout Christian trailer park folks named Sheeni Saunders and the two have an awkward but adorable summer fling. Newcomer Portia Doubleday makes an impression in this early portion of the film as Sheeni, teasing Nick and viewers with her poise and charm. When Nick has to go, he realizes their relationship (and his ascent to manhood) is at risk. He devises a scheme to get his father to move to Sheeni's town and his mother to get mad enough to send him to live there. The only problem, is that for it to work, sweet and innocent Nicky will have to be bad.

Nick invents an alternate persona for himself, one based on Sheeni's ideal man. He's a blue- eyed mustached, chain-smoking Frenchman named Francois Dillinger and he's Nick without hesitation or reservation. Cera does wisely in agreeing to be in this film because of this alter- ego aspect. Having to be Francois pushes Cera out of that same old wimpy character box and has him being frank -- and really dirty -- for once. If Cera doesn't want to flame out in the near future, he'll need more parts like this.

From here on out, "Youth in Revolt" sort of tumbles into a teenage daydream of all the insane things any good, normal kid would do for love and sex -- if it were all fiction. The creation of Francois doesn't exactly justify the ridiculous decisions Nick makes like burning down half of Berkeley, California, for example. It's fun, but not all that memorable.

I've never read the C.D. Payne novel, but you can tell it was much more extensive and that Gustin Nash had a hard time with the adaptation. All the events feel compressed, especially in the middle and last acts. Nothing builds gradually, it just gets stuck in. Some characters such as Sheeni's drug-endorsing older brother (Justin Long) who's snuck in toward the end, feel important to the story in an intangible way, but don't leave any particular impression.

Nash's adaptation, despite having the comedic dialog down, lacks a clear interpretation of Payne's story by which to tailor itself. In other words, deciding on one of the book's messages to craft the adaptation around might've helped eliminate certain parts of the story and alleviate the cramming. Director Miguel Arteta picks up on some subtler ideas such as how the many side characters act as insight on or inspire rebellious behavior, but they mostly get lost in the love story and Nick's sexual coming-of-age.

"Youth In Revolt" is an explicit teenage Rated-R comedy, but not a raunchy one, which ultimately makes it more respectable than more than half the genre off-the-bat. Much respect to The Weinstein Co. and Dimension Films for not trying to taper back for a PG-13 considering R closes the film off to half its intended audience. At the same time, it's not as unique or genre-changing as Areta's indie stylings try and make it out to be. Once again, audiences have grown accustomed to an assortment of male genital references and open discussion about sex. But there are some good performances from young actors and clever dialog in "Youth in Revolt" and it deserves a viewing.

~Steven C

http://moviemusereviews.com

Charming

[Morten_5 · 7/10 · 23 May 2017]

Another film with Michael Cera as a somewhat odd and misfit teenager. Despite being 21 here, Cera still make you believe he's 16.

With "Youth in Revolt", frequent TV series director Miguel Arteta - assisted by screenwriter Gustin Nash and C.D. Payne, author of the original novel - delivers a fun, weird and heart- warming little romantic comedy-drama. Appearances by Zach Galifianakis, Justin Long, Ray Liotta and Steve Buscemi add to the sense of strange humour, but the film really belongs to Cera and his special charm.

Perfect vehicle for Michael Cera, his fans will be in heaven

[larry-411 · 7/10 · 22 September 2009]

I attended the World Premiere of "Youth in Revolt" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. The film has one of the funniest scripts in recent memory. The audience was rolling in the aisles. And what a cast. M. Emmett Walsh, Mary Kay Place, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Fred Willard, Justin Long, and Jean Smart, all in one film. But "Youth in Revolt" is clearly a vehicle for Michael Cera. He portrays a wimpy teen (the appropriately named Nick Twisp) who, in order to win the girl of his dreams (Portia Doubleday, in a breakout role) must become a "bad boy" and break all the rules. Fans will not be disappointed. It's an all-around excellent comedy. Production values are top-notch and the film is sure to clean up at the box office.

Dry and random throughout

[lensta71 · 6/10 · 16 January 2010]

This being a good thing. When the movie wasn't sneaking up on you with quick and original situational comedy, Michael Cera's alter ego persona to Nick Twist kept taking Nick on unexpected adventures to get in the bed of Sheenie, the love interest.

Without giving away any of the story, I will say the movie moved along at an almost, uncomfortable pace, venturing towards slow. This did allow for the director to slip in the magically, odd comedy. Most of the plot is totally unpredictable and will keep you interested throughout. The guest appearances of Justin Long, Ray Liota, Steve Buscemi, and Fred Willard do not take away from the movie's flow and only adds charm to this artistic comedy adventure. Portia Doubleday is cute enough playing Sheenie to where more leading roles should be coming her way.

The movie was not laugh-out-loud funny throughout and deserving of only 6 out of 10.

Strange. Just....Strange.

[SunshineMike · 6/10 · 25 July 2010]

Before i watched the movie i thought it was going to be a typical teenage comedy, the stuff Michael Cera normally acts in, which involved turning himself into the typical bad boy to get that girl the old him couldn't.

About half an hour into watching it, i absolutely hated it. Michael Cera's character was ridiculously creepy, desperate and obsessed. Again my opinion was just to wait for the inevitable change in character and hope it turned out a lot better.

Well i can neither say if i was right or wrong.

Some bits intrigued me. The introduction of the brother immediately made the movie a whole lot better, but for barely 10 or so minutes. What had started so pathetic and boring, turned into an interesting and weird second half. It just seems to get more strange as the film went on and on.

One thing that bothered me is the constant use and then dismissal of what you thought would be a main character. His best friend at the beginning, the guy that sounded like he came from here (England), the girl he met in the toilets. They were all used and then as soon as there miniature part was played, they were unheard of for the remainder of the film.

Overall, though, it's worth a watch. Definitely better than a lot of other coming of age teen comedies.

Simply funny and smart

[dejan8378 · 9/10 · 19 August 2010]

It's a good thing that comedies are slowly coming out of the stereotypes like cliché characters, fake emotions and boring all happy too long meaningless endings. Don't be fooled that this is movie for teens only; there is lot more here going on.

Great transformation by Michael Cera, well developed main and supporting characters and very funny appearances by excellent and proved actors. The story is simple but goes through many changes in it making it unique in its genre, successfully escaping the traps set by the movies that have already told this story. This movie like the previous ones has hilarious situations and that is the only resemblance, but apart from them it has developed romance, real emotions, smart and funny dialogs and is more mature.

Funny bones, but where's the meat?

[TheEtherWalk · 6/10 · 17 June 2010]

Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy creates alternate persona and burns down half his town to get the girl back. Boy makes a whole lot of bad decisions, and so do the filmmakers.

There's a lot to like about this movie, and some real head-scratching moments as well. I really enjoyed Cera and newcomer Portia Doubleday, she's absolutely stunningly beautiful and has a great future ahead of her. Her performance pretty much makes this movie. Their relationship is the driving force of this movie, and although it never quite becomes believable they do have some nice chemistry. I like Cera and his double-role really lets him break out of his typecast innocence. There is some great comedy here but it comes at a price. The problems I have with this movie weren't immediately apparent, but after the movie was over they became very obvious.

For one thing, there's way too many characters played by indie actors all over the place in this movie. Almost none of them get any respectable screen time or any real character development. Jean Smart plays the stereotypically promiscuous mother, who has almost no redeeming qualities whatsoever, Zach Galifianakis has about 5 minutes of screen time, and the whole plot of his car being stuck in the living room and the sailors is never resolved. Steve Buscemi has some enjoyably intense back-and-forth fights with Cera, but again no real depth of any kind.

Even Cera's character is hard to get behind at times. Halfway through the movie he meets a girl named Bernice Lynch, who seems nice but emotionally unstable. So what does he do? He manipulates her by telling her he has feelings for her, so she'll drug Sheeni and get her expelled. Then the movie completely forgets about her. Wouldn't she be heartbroken and ready to do something horrible to get back at Nick, or do something horrible to herself? Then there's this guy called Vijay who randomly shows up and follows Nick to Sheeni's school. They have some hijinks and then the movie completely forgets about him as well. Then there's Nick's best friend Lefty who has about two scenes. There's some chuckle worthy magic mushroom comedy involving Justin Long, Ari Graynor, and Fred Willard. Then in almost the very next scene there's more magic mushroom hijinks with M. Emmet Walsh of all people. This is all pretty much all these actors are used for.

Ray Liotta plays a cop who covers for Nick about the fire while he dates his mom, then when she dumps him he tells the whole police force that Nick set the fire. First of all, wouldn't the police force figure out that he'd been covering for him? I mean he'd been dating the kid's mom. They also never really showed why she dumped him. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that all these pointless characters start to give the movie a strange coldness after a while, like everything is happening at a distance. There are laughs to be had but it's just too hard to care about anything that happens.

A lot of stuff here is just really silly. (Cross dressing? Really) The whole car-off-the-cliff thing from the end really didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If he was trying to fake his death, why did he take off his clothes and throw them in the car? Did I mention Cera is in his underwear for about half this movie? Even the character of Francois is pretty much pointless and unbelievable. Nick creates him so that Sheeni will like his 'bad side', even though she seemed to like him fine just the way he was. Somehow Nick loses control of Francois at several points and lets him control his actions, which really doesn't make sense. There's also never really any conflict between the two personas.

In short, I enjoyed this movie despite it's silliness, but what I had a problem with was things that were lacking, like depth of character and nonsensical plot points. I've never read the books, but the characters feel flat like they were taken right off the page and not expanded on at all. In the end it becomes apparent that there was a whole lot more they could have done with this material. I don't know if I'd see it again, but it is a fairly enjoyable comedy. Just remember to leave your brain at the door.

Not Awesome. Not Awful. Just Average..

[Joe_Regular · 5/10 · 20 September 2010]

This film is defiantly an "offbeat" comedy. The humour is mixed throughout as though trying to please all audiences, combining cliché "teen movie" jokes with references to obscure films and literature, most likely lost on the average "American Pie" fan. The Tone is unbalanced and the narrative goes all over the place but I suppose that is the point. Acting is well delivered from all, with Cera playing the same socially awkward, insecure guy as usual (but what's wrong with that, he's the right actor for the role)

In short: The story is predictable but that's to be expected. The dialogue between the two leads is interesting and enjoyable. Music works excellently throughout, fitting of each scene. Colour is used well. Cinematography is fine (the scene where the two meet is clichéd but always nice to see.) 5/10. Strong first act, but the rest of the film failed to sustain that level. Worth viewing at least once for fans of the Cera and/or the genre.

I need to craft an alternate personality for myself now.

[garyvanhorn · 8/10 · 11 January 2011]

Nothing is worse than knowing that you have met the girl of your dreams only to find out she has a boyfriend that is so unbelievably superior to you that you have no chance to win her over. That is exactly what happens to Nick Twisp (Michael Cera), but instead of meekly accepting his fate like a good little nerd he decides to fight back by creating a persona his French-loving would-be girlfriend cannot resist, Francois Dillinger. Francois appears periodically throughout the film to offer advice and, more often, take control of the situation by flagrantly defying authority or bringing his bad boy machismo into play.

I imagine Francois is what every stock French resistance fighter was like when he was sixteen with no war to fight; well dressed in gleaming white slacks and sandals, sporting a casual-looking button down shirt, but with a thin mustache and cigarette to add mystery and mystique. The very image of Francois makes me laugh. This also happens to be the only movie where parents are the unknowing consumers of illicit narcotics and it is actually funny.

Bad to the bone

[tieman64 · 17 February 2012]

"Youth in Revolt" is a fairly amusing comedy starring Michael Cera as Nick Twisp, a shy, socially inept teenager who falls in love with Sheeni, a girl he meets whilst on a camping trip.

The film's narrative is a twist on your typical "nice guys finish last" tale, Twisp realising that he must literally reinvent himself as a rebellious "bad boy" in order to win Sheeni's love. And so Twisp creates an alter ego called Francois Dillinger – the name a play on both outlaw John Dillinger and Jean Luc Godard anti-heros – and sets about committing various crimes and questionable acts. Cue much hilarity.

It's a good idea for a film, but as most romantic comedies actually feature the "nice guy winning", and as "Youth in Revolt" ends with both Sheeni and Twisp realising that "bad boys" aren't what they're looking for, the film's narrative arc seems strangely pointless. It's formulaic rather than daring.

The film does one interesting thing, though. Sheeni comes from a repressive suburban home, her family a pair of ultra right wing Christians. This results in Sheeni and her siblings "revolting" against their fundamentalist parents by smoking pot and immersing themselves in Parisian fantasies, sex, New Wave cinema and Serge Gainsbourg records. Meanwhile, Nick's case is the opposite. His household is populated by potheads, slackers, sex monkeys and bums, whom Nick "revolts" against by immersing himself in mellow, hipster affections (50s Frank Sinatra, classic films, books etc). Later he will embody Jean Paul Belmondo's Michael in Godard's "A Bout De Soufflé". So the film essentially has ultra right-wing conservatism/authoritarianism breeding an extrovert and ultra lax, liberalism/uninhibitedness breeding an introvert. Sheeni then unwittingly becomes her parents, trying to change and force an image up Nick, which of course backfires spectacularly. Lesson? People always define themselves in opposition to something, and forcing others often reinforces behaviour rather than instigating changes.

The film was directed by Miguel Arteta, who specilizes in pretty good black comedies. The majority of his films see characters trying and failing to break free of "who they are", be they Mexican kids trying to escape poverty ("Star Maps"), infantalized gay artists trying to grow up and/or turn straight ("Chuck and Buck"), frumpy cashiers trying to escape stagnated marriages ("The Good Girl"), or introverted insurance agents ("Cedar Rapids") wrestling with personal growth. Your classic Arteta character is caught between personal desires and socio-genetic hard-coding. As he becomes more mainstream/successful, Arteta's tales of personal growth become less pessimistic, his characters fates and personalities no longer fixed, or even contingent, but subordinate to old fashioned Hollywood wish fulfilment.

7.9/10 – Needs more jokes. Worth on viewing.

Youth in revolt (2009)

[dpolwatte · 7/10 · 9 December 2018]

A funny and sarcastic movie about life of a twisted troubled youth. Visually stunning tour de force.

Enjoyable but In Some Aspects Cumbersome

[gigan-92 · 5/10 · 9 May 2011]

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this film, laughed throughout in fact, but as a whole I have to be critical. Including in comparison to other films similar to its nature and when it comes to films involving teens and sex, there are many to choose from. It's been a done a million times, so it's nice to see refreshing and moderately realistic scenario and character interaction, like that of "Superbad" or "Juno". The cast, for one thing is damn amazing. There are many excellent actors, like Steve Buscemi and Ray Liotta, both did wonderfully. Zack Galifianakis and Justin Long were very well into their characters and I loved them on screen. A lot of the characters are pretty memorable, an aspect I enjoyed. I enjoyed seeing the character interaction which is the key to film-making at the base of it all. But Michael Cera as the awkward-nobody is beyond overdone. Sorry, but at this point I've seen too many times. Only when he's donning the Francois persona do I admire his performance and really embrace him as a character.

Not to mention the whole plot at a glance makes his character seem rather pathetic really. He steals cars, travels hundreds of miles, sabotages the girl's education, among many other ridiculous things all for one girl who half the time doesn't really seem to care about him that much. It's a love story I just can't connect with despite my attempts to. So check this one out for some crude laughs but not a masterpiece by any means.

C+

A quietly engaging tale of a boy who falls in love with a girl

[ssaimeri · 6/10 · 9 December 2016]

Youth in Revolt

The age-old tale of a young mans endless pursuit to lose his virginity with a decidedly sardonic twist. Michael Cera plays an exceptional character that instantaneously worships the perfect girl that he meets in the right setting. Portia Doubleday, the paramour to Cera, is a hapless young girl with notions of romance that can only come from the lonely teenage girl.

The story rises and falls with the alter ego of Cera, Francois. Francois drives the movie with a cool intellect and bravado unmatched. It is quite interesting to see such a quiet and gangly hero portrayed, as opposed to the archetypal male running the show, it gives us unusual types something to hope for even though we know it is only a movie.

The dialogue in particular, driven by Michael Cera, but carried throughout the cast drips with sarcasm and a quiet humor that I appreciate. It is much more preferable to the bombastic nature of the typical high school coming of age story. All in all Youth in Revolt was a mildly refreshing drink from a glass that has been passed around for decades.

Versatile Cera and Newcomer Doubleday Shine in Clever Comedy

[MovieNut237 · 19 November 2009]

Cera, Doubleday Shine in Clever Comedy Aside from the usual onslaught of sappy romantic drivel, the sad milkings of former SNL cast members, and the Friedberg/Seltzer travesties, the past few years really have been golden ones for smaller, underdog comedies: Juno, Be Kind Rewind, The Wackness, Adventureland, (500) Days of Summer, and The Hangover to name a few.

Youth In Revolt, a new comedy directed by Miguel Arteta, earns a well-deserved spot on that list.

Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday in "Youth in Revolt." Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday in "Youth in Revolt." The film tells the story of a lonely and neglected teenage virgin named Nick Twisp (Michael Cera), who unexpectedly falls for a free-spirited trailer park girl named Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). When their summer fling ends and Nick has to move back home, he realizes that she is the one, and must keep her in his life in order to be happy. His passive, nice-guy temperament won't suffice, however, so he creates a bad-boy alter ago – a Tyler Durden, if you will – in order to get Sheeni back. So what begins with a rather cliché set-up quickly turns into a hilarious and unpredictable series of exploits that will leave you laughing and guessing until the end.

It's refreshing to see Michael Cera, who I've referred to as the Anthony Michael Hall of this generation, break out of the shy, soft-spoken mold he's created for himself and venture into more challenging territory. This new role tests his range as an actor, and it suffices to say he passes with flying colors, even if he has to alternate screen time with his usual, soft-spoken self (in this way, the dual-performance becomes almost a self-parody). It's easily his best-acted film yet, and may ultimately serve as a turning point in his career, opening the door to a more diverse melody of roles. Or maybe not.

Newcomer Portia Doubleday is as flawless as she is adorable playing Cera's love interest; her future certainly looks bright. Jean Smart and the always-amazing Steve Buscemi nail their roles as his conceited parents, while the familiar faces of Zach Galifianakis, Ray Liotta, and Justin Long round out the pitch-perfect cast. Michael Cera in "Youth in Revolt." Michael Cera in "Youth in Revolt." What gives this film its edge, ultimately, is its unconventionality. It takes place very much within its own world, and yet, at the same time, the thoughts and feelings emoted on screen are sure to strike a familiar cord with anyone whose road through adolescence had its share of potholes. The smart, snappy dialogue is reminiscent of Diablo Cody's Juno script, sans the annoyance, and a handful of animated sequences interspersed throughout the narrative adds to its overall uniqueness. It tries hard to stand apart from other coming-of-age films, and manages to succeed without being either unoriginal or pretentious.

Best of all, it's funny. Some comedies marketed as nonstop laugh-a-thons can turn out to be dramas in disguise, but with this gem, there is something to enjoy in every scene.

Youth In Revolt opens everywhere on January 8, and you'll be hard-pressed to find something better to do that day.

Zach Copeland is a Senior Writer for The Film Crusade.

Had Some Downfalls, But One Of The Better Ones Of It's Genre

[kylehodgdon · 6/10 · 14 January 2010]

I typically don't care to see teen comedy movies such as "Youth in Revolt", but for some reason I thought that it looked very funny from the trailers and I liked the idea of the split personality. There were indeed some funny parts to this movie, but not enough for me to give a really glowing review.

It was decent, which is why I rated it as a six, or, "slightly above average, but I really thought it could have been better. First off, I have a real problem with the original motive which is a concern throughout most of the movie; that being the desire to lose one's virginity through any means necessary. Why? Why have that such a focal point? I don't really think teenagers as so concerned with it these days. Sure, everyone wants to lose their virginity sometime in their life, but I think people know it will come when it does and have no need to make some kind of "American Pie" pact of needing to lose it as soon as possible.

Beyond the whole virgin thing, I also wished they would have spent more time with Francois and the interaction between him and Nick. Those were the funniest parts of the movie and it was neat to see those two characters face situations.

I don't typically like films of this genre, but I did like this one, so I think that does say something positive about "Youth in Revolt". If you typically like movies of this genre I think you'll like this quite a bit.

You sweet angel of the lavatory Youth in Revolt

[jaredmobarak · 7/10 · 5 January 2010]

Wow, never underestimate the drawing power of Michael Cera. This kid is the most awkward looking and acting actor on the planet, destined to be relegated to one-trick pony status unless he stops letting himself be typecast, but my God does he have comedic appeal. The screening I attended for Youth in Revolt was sold out almost an hour in advance, something unheard of and definitely worthy of mention. You'd think people would be sick of him by now—I know I am—but the glimmer of hope that his character Nick's alternate persona Francois could grow some hair on the chest of his boyish innocence was too strong to resist. And you won't be disappointed in that department; Cera's creepily wide eyes, prepubescent moustache, and uninhibited actions are a laugh riot. Unfortunately, too much of his nerdiness still comes through the façade of cool, not enough to make this otherwise pretentiously dialogued, long-winded tale without merit though—it's deserving of a look for sure.

Miguel Arteta has had his hand in creating some very good subtle comedy, oftentimes pairing with Mike White's talents as writer, actor, or both. Arteta was behind the camera on The Good Girl and a brilliant short film Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?, not to mention some episodes of the dramedy "Six Feet Under". In other words, he knows how to get laughs while remaining poignant and reserved. So, seeing him involved with Revolt was a bit surprising to me, especially since they had billed the trailers to be an uproarious comedy with "that dude from The Hangover", (hate to break it to you, but Zach Galifianakis is only on screen for about ten minutes). However, the actual film is a nice hybrid of styles, definitely the most purposeful comedy he's done, yet still retaining indie sensibilities and artistic flourishes. I forgive the overzealous use of slomotion—especially since it's utilized so cautiously, not too slow that it's added for dramatic effect or big laughs, but just slow enough to be noticeable and beg the question why—because I actually enjoyed the charmingly crude animation sequences, as well as the humorous quasi-splitscreen of pitting both Ceras in frame together, distinctly dissimilar to one another.

On to the film itself, the main plot concerns a soft-spoken, too nice 16-year old that has just met the girl of his dreams. Thanks to the deadbeat boyfriend of his mother, frightened by the three sailors he sold a lemon car too, the trio go to the woods to camp, causing fate to allow for the stars' alignment and Nick meeting Portia Doubleday's Sheeni Saunders. She is cut from the same cloth as he, in love with French New Wave while he Italian cinema and playing Serge Gainsbourg records to his Frank Sinatra—they are soulmates of the intellectual elite. Even their parents are similar in the fact their children are aliens to them; Nick's are borderline trailer trash and Sheeni's are religious kooks, neither quite the breeding ground for stimulating, unbiased discourse. But, while their delicate tastes are congruent, their lifestyles are not. Sheeni wants an adventurous future with a man full to brim in confidence and strength, two things any Cera character is lacking in immensely. Francois Dillinger is therefore introduced into the fold as the man Nick never had the guts to be. He's an unruly juvenile delinquent and sexual deviant, a perfect combination for some good fun.

I really liked the supporting cast going along for the ride, despite their limited involvement. Jean Smart has been playing the unbalanced, aging beauty queen to perfection for years now; Steve Buscemi seems to be filling out the loudmouth, hard-nosed parental figure this year, which is weird considering his own gawky build; and Fred Willard is brilliant with the laughs, that voice of his with its ever-fluctuating volume made for comedy. Adhir Kalyan is starting to make a name for himself of late, here playing a Brit and kindred spirit of Nick's, helping him get into more trouble; Erik Knudsen, as our lead's best friend Lefty, is the perfect amount of awkward obsessive; and, frankly, it's just always great seeing M. Emmet Walsh in front of the camera. As for our leading lady, I thought Doubleday did quite the job pulling off that wiser than her years' attitude, the muse behind the destruction that's definitely worth the effort. She is a little Lolita, casting her spell on Nick in such a way that it wouldn't surprise you if she pulled the rug out and crushed him for his troubles. Quite the enigma, she seems to also be caught under his spell … boy would I like to know how he manages that one.

And that brings us to the indispensable work of one Michael Cera. It never ceases to amaze that he can play the same role over and over again, but do it so well that you sometimes forget you've seen it before. No one can deliver the lines he is given with better timing or biting sarcastic wit. It also doesn't hurt that he is so natural in his actions and expressions. He can get away with stuff like oddly crossed forearms or goofy, free-form arm-flailing when at a run, even eliciting a laugh rather than a scowl at is unoriginality. There is a sense of empathy with him, memories of a time when you yourself were that strange and introverted. I absolutely loved his reaction to getting kissed post-dog smooch by Sheeni, but I enjoyed Francois's oneliners and idiosyncrasies more. Just the way he smoked his cigarette, putting it to his mouth cupped in his palm and than out again, gripped between his ring and pinky finger is mesmerizing. The addition of the pinky ring and carefree attitude make this imagined miscreant my new hero. As for the pinky itself, well I won't mention where its other adventures lay—animated hilarity.

Cera emerges as a leading man...

[ClaytonDavis · 6/10 · 21 February 2010]

Michael Cera, star of great cult classics such as Juno, Superbad, and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, has emerged slowly and gracefully into a leading man.  His film Youth in Revolt directed by Michael Arteta and written by Gustin Nash who adapted the film from the book by C.D. Payne, is a solid and enjoyable fixture for the kick off films of 2010.  Cera enables much of the film in a strong comedic performance, surely one of his strongest yet, and shows tender moments, equally showcasing a talent to be seen in the near future in bigger, better pictures.  There are funny supporting players performing at their best.  Steve Buscemi and Zack Galifianakis being the strongest seen.  Ray Liotta and Jean Smart are also memorable and good in their respective roles.Although the writing isn't the most brilliant and the most clever, it provides laughable moments that keep the viewer entertained throughout.  From word of mouth, Nash keeps true to Payne's series of books and provides just the right elements of his own interpretation.  I guess you can't ask for more when adapting a popular work.  The film in the end is passable, entertaining, and a straight-forward time at the movies.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It's all worth a watch.***/****

Hilarious, bright and engaging

[meli-beauchemin · 10/10 · 15 September 2009]

I enjoy Michael Cera as much as the next person; he's awkward and endearing and watching him fumble makes me feel better about myself. The thing about Michael Cera, is that all of the characters he plays... are Michael Cera.

Well... except for Nick Twisp.

It starts off with Nick masturbating; I hadn't seen the trailer prior to the TIFF premiere, and during that first scene I somehow started having horrible flashbacks of Nick and Nora's Craptastic Adventure.

4 minutes in, my mind was changed.

The movie is filled to the brim with witticisms that I feared would fall flat with Cera's non-dimensional acting; I was surprised. He managed to avoid turning sexual situations into awkward moments, and the brilliantly written screen play kept the pace fast and...well, hilarious.

The character is less naive than we're meant to believe; Nick Twisp just wants to belong, and his alter-ego Francois (Cera with a shady looking 'stache) enables Nick to do that... it's like they've embarked on that wild ride that we all wish we could take.

There were SO MANY one liners that had the audience laughing, I think that it's hard not to adore this movie.

Seriously, I will be seeing it again.

Crude coming of age comedy with a little "Fight Club" aspect

[KineticSeoul · 7/10 · 25 July 2010]

The plot of "Youth in Revolt" (2009) is basically about a virgin who is a huge pansy that is on a mission to get laid with the help of a slightly less pansy version of himself in another words his alter ego. But the film for the most part is hilarious and just so fun to watch cause of how much a guy in this film would go through in order to get laid with a girl, and I thought some terrorist had it tough. Yeah that is a bad joke, but that is basically what describes the character Michael Cera's character. In fact Michael Cera is being Michael Cera again but he is just perfect for this role and some of his fans will really enjoy this film. The movie is a bit of a psychological comedy and how the pansy character starts to revolt is just hysterical at times. It really is a engaging film from beginning to end, and if your in the mood for a bit of a crude comedy I suggest you check this film out. It's a funny coming of age film with a little aspects of "Fight Club" in it.

7.8/10

Farce more than comedy

[bobbyelliott · 5/10 · 7 February 2010]

My wife and I watched this movie last night and we both left with the same impression, that it was not very funny. I really doesn't deserve its (current) 7+ IMDb rating since it simply isn't very funny. In fact, the only positive thing I can say about it is that is a gentle movie about a topic that everyone can relate to (teenage angst about sex)... and if that sounds like I am damning it with faint praise that's because I am.

The movie is a romantic farce in parts (but not very romantic and not very farcical) and it has quite nice surreal moments (the sex book coming to life was particularly well done) but these good bits were not enough to save the movie.

I thought the acting was no more than functional and the storyline was weak and not engaging. But the big problem with this film was the humour -- or lack of it.

Subversive hilarity

[dfranzen70 · 8/10 · 17 December 2009]

When you hear that Michael Cera will be playing yet another nerdy virginal dweeb, your first reaction is likely to include a couple of eyerolls and other dismissive motions. Here he plays an effete high schooler named Nick Twisp who thinks he's found the girl of his dreams during a lakefront vacation. Only to get the girl he needs to man up and become more dangerous, so he invents a subpersona named Francois, a dashing lad full of derring-do. This black comedy has plenty of laughs amid a wacky, absurdist atmosphere.

Nick Twisp. Great name for a fictional character; terrible name for a real person, I would think. Nick is into Frank Sinatra, his computer, and classic prose; he lives with his trailer-trash mom (Jean Smart) and her ne'er-do-well current boyfriend (played with laid-back zeal by Zach Galifianakis). Nick is as stammery as any other Michael Cera character, and his approach to the fairer sex is, unsurprisingly, ineffective.

Things look up when he meets neighbor Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday, who is both enigmatic and ebullient as Sheeni), who's gorgeous and fun to be with. It's not long before Nick decides Sheeni's the one for him. But it's quickly revealed that Sheeni already has a boyfriend, a real manly man named Trent. How can anyone played by Michael Cera compete with a guy named Trent? Easy – by inventing an alter ego that gives voice to his rampaging id, a rogueish cad named Francois (because Sheeni loves French things). Francois allows Nick to do and say things that he'd never otherwise say.

And that's when things really take off. The pleasure of this movie is twofold. First, Cera's delivery and the script by Gustin Nash go together like Forrest Gump and Jenny. The jokes are often laugh-out-loud quality, and it's at least partly due to Cera's sometimes-mumbled, frightened-rabbit replies. His funny lines are played straight, and somehow it works. Second, the absurd escalating situations in which Nick finds himself – as a result of his own actions, it should be noted – are funny the same way Mr. Creosote's predicament was funny in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. The stuff Nick does at the behest of Francois to win Sheemi's heart are hilarious yet unlikely – and yet they ring true nonetheless.

It also helps that Cera is supported by some damn funny actors: Galifianakis is a hoot in a somewhat dark role; Steve Buscemi plays Nick's dad with vulgar intensity (as if he were a domesticated version of Mr. Pink); Justin Long, of all people, is Sheeni's stoner older brother; M. Emmett Walsh (who's perhaps a tad too old to be the father of a teen) is Sheeni's dad; Mary Kay Place is the mom; Smart as Nick's mom; and Adhir Kalyan as a fellow student who helps Nick in his quest for Sheeni. Oh, and Fred Willard as a neighbor who likes to save illegal immigrants from the INS.

I know the word "quirky" is overused for oddball comedies today, particularly those starring Michael Cera (who, if he plays another Nick, may as well dot his face with bloodied pieces of tissue paper), but this one outquirks most of them. Even with all the madness zooming around this film, at the heart of things is the love between a girl and a boy and the lengths either will go to protect that bond. This movie should appeal to those who like offbeat romances.

I liked the film a lot but here's the thing, shrooms are not light drugs...

[apocalypse_ciao · 7/10 · 10 January 2010]

I just saw this film on Friday, the 8th of January, and it delivered in so many ways. My only criticism of the film is it's reliance on drug taking, particularly the 'shroom scenes. Just because, not everyone in society has done 'shrooms so they probably wouldn't be able to relate to anything the characters go through when they take them. And while the movie portrays Michael Cera's character's experience as light-hearted and whimsical, shroom experiences, at least speaking for myself, are far from being light-hearted and whimsical. They're heavy drugs as far as I'm concerned and the film almost makes you think otherwise and I might come off as preachy when I say this but it's highly irresponsible to portray taking mushrooms as such, given the influence that movies can have on young people who unfortunately may become super curious of taking them if they haven't already done so. All I can say is, don't take too much if you are going to go that route and avoid hanging out with lame asses if you are, please don't drive when you're on them, and I think you should be okay.

So why did I give the movie a 7? I like the film's "take me or leave me" attitude. What I mean by that is, it doesn't over exert itself to be liked. I mean sure it does make references to I guess what "hip" teenagers and adults seem to like i.e. records versus cd's, Serge Gainsbourg, vintage threads, 3D papercraft/cut-out animation, and stop motion puppetry, but it doesn't beg to be liked which I found quite refreshing.

And most importantly why I enjoyed this movie was because at it's heart, it's a touching love story, which is completely believable, sincere, and totally relatable as well. Females do in fact subject men to various "tests" for them to prove their feelings for them and we as men do in fact oblige, even if the consequences of such actions prove to be disastrous.

And the underlying message I got was to follow your heart, which so many of us as we get older seem to forget.

Plus with choice performances from veteran actors such as Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, Fred Willard, Ray Liotta, M. Emmett Walsh, and Mary Kay Place and kooky character roles filled by Zach Galifianakis and Justin Long, what's not to like about this film?

expectations were let down

[awashmuth · 2/10 · 10 January 2010]

Our expectations were too high from the previews for this movie. The story line is so random and makes basically no sense. You begin to hate some of the characters and wonder what the heck is going on with the story line. There were about 10 funny liners in the entire movie and my date and I were the only ones laughing in the entire theater. Was told that this equaled The Hangover, whoever make that comparison was sadly mistaken. Though I do enjoy Michael Cera as an actor, along with the other big names who show up in the movie, the story line was just not well written. The idea is good but it is not backed up with good characters. It seemed like an extension of Cera's Superbad character with the exception he actually gets laid. Why was his opposite persona hardly in the movie? We did not enjoy this movie whatsoever and we left feeling lost and wondering what it was we just wasted our money on. Sad.