Young Adult (2011)

Young AdultEven though being predictable and of a familiar structure, there are few surprises among relationship and their intense take on the simplicity and the sensibility of livelihood is what keeps the feature not only alive but helps it pump harder and faster. The technical aspects like sound department could have been a lot better but amazing camera work and cinematography saves the day. The writing isn't strong and concrete as the writers think but still there is a lot to explore upon especially in its own plain even though rudimentary trajectory of it. Jason Reitman; the director, is the real game changer of the feature as his keen sense of knowledge on executing the anticipate vision is apt for the tone of the feature which is supported by fine editing. There is no doubt on performance level especially from Charlize Theron who is genuinely convincing and is supported by a great cast like Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson. The feature fortunately doesn't spend on milking away the character's perspective which would have easily been possible; considering the premise, but instead keeps it perfectly balanced and independent. Young Adult is a mature approach to a juvenile script whose witty depiction and the work that went behind the camera, ups the ante of it.

Charlize Theron was very good in this. The movie itself is quirky, weird and darkly funny. One of those feel-bad movies. with a nothing sort of story that follows a (YA) author who returns to her hometown to try and relive her glory days and seduce her happily married ex. Along the way she (drinks heavily) and forms an unusual friendship with a former classmate who hasn't quite gotten over high school either.This has been simply filmed, showing raw honesty on the part of 'Mavis', and Theron is excellent, fascinating and almost excruciating at times to watch as she goes about sabotaging her life. This is a woman in pain. Patton Oswalt also puts in a touching performance. I was left a bit worried about that dog though. 11/18/15

If your high school sweetheart was stolen by the prom queen years ago, this is a really feel-good movie to you.Young Adult is bold enough NOT to have a happy ending or silver lining, Charlize Theron is brave to take an unlikable, narcissistic and almost pathetic lead role. Diablo Cody's screenplays reminds me Tennessee Williams: the lead characters are shattered, ruined, and finally must face the broken mirror, their bad choices made and their own flaws.Back to the film itself, I like some of the brilliant touch-ups: Buddy is not Mr. Nice either, he does not care about what happened to Matt. Matt's sister may have flattered Mavis only for getting a chance to leave Mercury. Does Mavis still love Buddy? No way, it is not about the old flame, it is about desperately trying to get back her glorious teenage years and what she could have had. But eventually you would feel sorry for Mavis' loss and failure. C'est la vie. If Juno, the teenage pregnant girl written by Diablo Cody, turned 37 years old, she could be Mavis and this film just needs to add a scene: she watched her 20 years old son/daughter in a distance, turned around and left in the rain.

Mavis (Charlize Theron) is a successful author of young adult novels who hears her old high school squeeze is happily married with a baby, so she decides she wants to get him back.Its a riff on My Best Friend's Wedding, a riff on fame and the classic fish out of water story, but I love it. I've never met anyone else who likes it. First of all, I love that the opening credits take place inside a cassette tape player. I find Mavis to be unlikeable but fascinating to watch. She is an excellent portrait, well written by Diablo Cody, well crafted by Charlize Theron and Jason Reitman. She's a good example of an unreliable narrator. We don't get them in movies too often. Basically, she'll tell you things, and you shouldn't necessarily listen to her. The things she's saying are not what the filmmakers are saying. I like it. 8/10