March 22: Young Adult

"Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now happily married and has a newborn daughter." 

   Young Adult is a feel bad movie about a very unlikable person revisiting her past and nearly ruining the lives of those she left behind, all for her own satisfaction. Charlize Theron plays Mavis, the title character, and her attempt to woo an old flame is pretty much the plot of the film. It's a weak idea to base an entire film on, especially when she is as bad a person as she is. She's depressed, an alcoholic, and pulls out her own hair. You can clearly see she's got nothing to lose. Theron does a good job in the role but the character is just not written with any heart and it's really hard to carry a film when the main character is a heartless empty shell of a former teenage prom queen. 

Less suburban loveless marriage, more "accidental" drug overdose

   The best part of Young Adult is Patton Oswalt, who plays a former classmate of Mavis, who becomes her drinking buddy and "moral support", trying to convince her that going after a married man is a bad idea. Oswalt proves he is worthy of more roles than he's been getting and I am glad to see him in a role with a little more substance. The rest of the cast is very forgettable, as is the rest of the film, and Young Adult falls flat. With a great director, Jason Reitman (who gave us Up in the Air and Thank You for Smoking), one would think the movie would be much better. Sadly, after viewing the film, it just seems pointless. 

Unlikable sure... but they could have at least played up her hotness. 

   Overall, just skip Young Adult. Before I wrote this review I was thinking it was a just an okay movie, but after dissecting it a bit after watching it, I really did not like it. There is no point to the film and it feels long for only 94 minutes. With a cast comprised of undeveloped, plain characters and a cold hard b**ch in the title role, Young Adult needs more than just a fancy director and a "movie star". It needs a hug. 

The Good:

Patton Oswalt 

The Bad:

weak script with weak characters

The Ugly:

watching an entire film with really no saving grace, happy ending, or any positive feeling

Overall: 5.1/10

Best Quote:

1. Buddy Slade: Mavis, I'm a married man.
2. Mavis Gary: I know, we can beat this thing together.

Trailer: