Michael Cera is one of the oddest new stars of American cinema: the go-to guy for any dweebish and insecure 16-year-old role (he's now 21). He's starred in some of the most earnestly 'cool' films of the last few years - Superbad, Juno, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist as well as the hit comedy Arrested Development and now he is back once again reprising his somewhat blank everyboy screen personality.
Youth In Revolt comes across as a Hollywood checklist of what the quintessential indie teen comedy should be: the unlikely hero (Cera), the unattainable girl (Portia Doubleday), the trendy soundtrack, the references to great films from the past (in this case France's New Wave of the 1950s), and the quirky comedy moments (let's get the uptight religious parents high on mushrooms!).
Perhaps it sets the bar too high, but it's far too self-consciously hip to succeed on any of the above. In a nutshell Cera's Nick Twisp leaves his troubled family life, meets a beautiful sophisticated girl in a holiday park, and tries to change his personality completely in order to win her.
Whether it's the script - which is full of unnecessary forced dialogue - or Cera's acting (he's particularly unconvincing as the ultra-cool alter ego he develops) - none of it is particularly engaging, or funny.
When a film is so dominated by images of classic cinema - in this case, Jean-Paul Belmondo's iconic turn in A Bout De Souffle - it has to be very original to succeed, or the comparison will make it suffer. A strong supporting cast only highlights to serves how far out of its depth it is.
Paul Hurley
