Youth in Revolt Review

Youth in Revolt is a movie full of Michael Ceras. Cera stars in the film playing a dual role both as virgin nerd Nick Twisp and Nick's newly created, bad boy alternate personality Francois Dillinger. But the Cera doesn't stop there. The film's other characters seem to have caught the Cera bug, speaking in the same mildly disconnected monotone that has become Cera's trademark, or using Cera's all too familiar blank stare to gaze into the camera. Everyone in the movie has become Michael Cera, it's as if they've all been instructed to filter their characters through some sort of strange Michael Cera impression. That might be annoying of not for Michael Cera who, is doing something distinctly un-Cera with Twisp's imaginary friend Francois. Bug-eyed and angry, it's Francois Dillinger, as the only non-Cera character in the film, who makes watching Youth in Revolt worthwhile…read more [Cimena Blend] Youth in Revolt is a very funny movie, but it's also a bit too lightweight to give it real staying power. Twisp's quest for sex and a girlfriend obviously presents its fair share of challenges, but as dramatic as they seem they're all actually dealt with pretty succinctly and episodically. Getting Nick's dad to move is as simple as having Sheeni make a fake phone call posing as a job offer… he moves and presumably starts the job, but if it was fake how exactly does he manage that? The details aren't necessarily important, but without them the movie feels less complete…read more [FilmSchoolRejects] Michael Cera, Youth In Revolt From the beginning, it's apparent that there's something “off” about Youth in Revolt. It's not that the film is fatally flawed, but the tone is uneven, the satire is blunt, the comedy rarely generates more than feeble laughs, and the lead character never comes fully to life. A shadow of the novel from which it has been adapted, Youth in Revolt tries to be something more than disposable, forgettable entertainment, but doesn't quite succeed. In the end, it's really nothing more than a tepid teenage romantic comedy with a few quirks. Fans of C.D. Payne's Nick Twisp novels will probably be more disappointed than those who have never heard of Payne or read his writing…read more [ReelViews] Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday, Youth In Revolt Youth in Revolt regards Nick/Francois with sympathy but strict objectivity until its final act, when it stumbles badly with its too-tidy resolution. The double-persona keeps Nick fundamentally likeable by using Francois as a convenient scapegoat for some pretty unforgivable deeds, but a movie this observant about teenage males should be smart enough to know that Nick is motivated more out of selfishness, and horniness, than actual love…read more [exclaim.ca] Michael Cera and Adhir Kalyan, Youth In Revolt The lad of letters is Nick Twisp (Michael Cera): seeker, aesthete, virgin. He boils with hormonal surges, yet his wrath is impotent. Among those he would smite are his slutty mom (Jean Smart), her truck-driver boyfriend (Zach Galifianakis), her cop boyfriend (Ray Liotta). A vacation sojurn to a “cabin” in the woods — actually, a trailer in a land of lost souls called Restless Axles — redirects his trajectory to cross that of one Sheeni Saunders (a canny Portia Doubleday, in her first major role), who is not only adorable but, unlike Nick, can correctly identify the director of “Tokyo Story.” Alas, she has a boyfriend (“he writes futurist percussive poetry”) so permanent Nick seems to have little chance with her. Unless he can meet Sheeni's demands to “be bad, Nick. Very, very bad.”…read more [New York Post] “Youth in Revolt” gives Cera the twee name Nick Twisp, surrounds his aging virgin act with divorced parents who are both shacked up with lustful vulgarians and then provides him with a dream come true in the person of Sheeni Saunders. She's played by Portia Doubleday, a newcomer whose name will always be more melodious than those of her characters. Nick and Sheeni meet during a family vacation at the sublimely named Restless Axles trailer park. For Sheeni, who speaks as if influenced by “Juno,” virginity is a once-touching affectation, and Nick Twisp is oh so eager to join her in this opinion. But there are many obstacles to their bliss, worst of all his family's tragic return home…read more [Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times] Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday, Youth In Revolt Youth in Revolt puts an anarchic, comical spin on teenage love and rebellion. The story of a boy who sets out to win the heart of his dream girl is nothing new. However, instead of winning a football game or getting the best grades, the boy in this film goes on a crime spree to impress his girl. The humor is often profane and vulgar, which is be expected from a comedy about young guy trying to bed his dream girl. The humor is also plays heavily with hipster references and teenage ideas of superiority to adults. Nick and Shennie are hormone-driven teens, but they always seem to be a little smarter or more clued in than their parents, who are in either divorced and messed up or stifling fundamentalists. Some of the humor is clever, but fairly esoteric (e.g., jokes about Federico Fellini, Seijun Suzuki and Yasizuru Ozu). This hipster-friendly approach could have easily turned out to be obnoxious, but Gustin Nash's screenplay is consistently funny and the narrative is engaging…read more [Twitch] Youth In Revolt, based on a cult-smash novel by C.D. Payne, is the kind of movie every average guy wishes had existed when we were teenage virgins. Directed by Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl), the film is a dark coming of age comedy with a special focus on the absurd lengths young men will go to for first loves. Or, more specifically, first lovers. But the underlying confusion between the two is what makes the film such a poignant bullseye for the desperation of youth…read more [Crave Online]

Youth in Revolt Poster, Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday

There's a lot to really love in Youth in Revolt — the film is clever, well performed and embraces the poor moral compass of adolescence in a more honest way than most self-proclaimed serious examinations of those formative years. Perhaps the best thing about Youth in Revolt, though, is that Arteta and Nash refuse to apologize for Nick's awful decisions. Love may conquer all and there are lessons about being true to yourself that feel a bit force fed, but Youth in Revolt can be forgiven because it really does revel in discovery through destruction…read more [Romantic Films Comedies] Youth In Revolt Video Review [IndyMogul]