Could I have that with a side of Self-loathing and Misanthropy, please?

Young Adult was just about as I expected.  Except that it was more like Juno in that it was not too offensive and awful until you got near the end of the film.  (Up in the Air is just awful pretty much all the way through.) I can not stand this filmmaker, Jason Reitman, and I refuse to actually "pay" to see his films these days.  (Renee and I did see Juno in the theater.) So, finally Young Adult popped up on netflix, streaming for "free" -- or free enough for my purposes.

Why do I keep torturing myself with these crappy movies? 

Why does Reitman seem to hate himself and his generation so much?  Why does Reitman seem to hate everyone, in general? Are people that like Sonic Youth and Teenage Fanclub all jerks?

I like a lot of films with despicable protagonists, or films, in which there are no likable characters, at all.  I just saw Fritz Lang's Scarlet Street.  It was absolutely seedy and splendid at the same time, repellent and rewarding.  Young Adult, honestly, is not the worst thing I have ever seen, until the last two reels.


And, what about the drunken kiss from the hometown hubby? It is implausible, barely commented on, and works as cover for Cody and Reitman's flimsy story. There is no way Mavis sleeps with that other guy, either.  There is no way.  And the other guy's sister? And the pep talk she gives Mavis? That has to be one of worst instances of deus ex machina I have ever seen, a complete cop-out.  Diablo Cody and Reitman should have ended the film at the party.  What a grim, perfect way to end their little misanthropic exercise.  The joke is on Mavis! Leave town humiliated, with red wine all down your fancy frock!

I am tempted to think the point of their crappy ending is:  The cool kids always win, and just getting out of the small town is enough.  But, it does not play.  It simply was not written well-enough, or performed well enough to get that message across.

Young Adult truly stinks.  And, I still hate Reitman's work.  And, I am sure I will keep seeing his films -- for "free" -- and writing about them.  Maybe he will surprise me one day.  I strongly doubt it.

(And poor, awesome Teenage Fanclub deserve much better.)








Ardent

I am not even interested (UGH! Update!)

In seeing the film, Young Adult.

There are many many reasons for this.

Let us spell them out, shall we:

I do not particularly like Charlize Theron.  I do not like Diablo Cody.  I did not like Juno -- it was facile and crass.  I did not like Up in the Air -- it was facile and sentimental.  I still have not seen Thank You for Smoking, and that is alright by me.

I remember the ads for Juno upon its release.  They made a big deal about how similar it was to Little Miss Sunshine, probably some of the same producers were involved.

Little Miss Sunshine was a true black comedy.  Black as tar, as my friend Nick C says.  They stole a corpse and stuffed it in the back of a VW van!

Young Adult will not end, or even contain, anything that twisted, or profane, or mean as that.

(And, note to Hollywood:  Please fucking stop using Bowie's brill Queen Bitch for your trailers.  Wes Anderson kicked your ass on this one.  Give him his due and move on.)

I am saying it here now, and loudly:  Jason Reitman is a safe, sentimental, backlash film maker, who should be saving his breath for working in a time like ours.

Hell, even the goody-goody, dopey reactionary Capra at least made you feel something, watching his corny films.

You want comedy, with great performers, go see Polanski's Carnage, instead.

As for Reitman's slice of burnt apple pie, this reviewer will pass.



AH




UPDATE, 12/9/11:  
Ugh, apparently the "theme" song for Young Adult is Teenage Fanclub's The Concept, one of my all-time fave tracks.  It is similar to how I felt when I heard all of my favorite Supertramp songs in Magnolia.

A.O. Scott and Mick LaSalle leeerved Young Adult, by the way.

In other movie news, Manohla Dargis has a splendidly written review of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy today on the NYT Arts & Leisure cover page.  Now, there's another movie I would rather see than Young Adult.  Benedict Cumberbatch gets second billing! What a coup!

I saw Up in the Air

A couple of nights ago on HBO.  Someone tell me again, What is supposed to be the big deal?

I did not like the film much at all.  There are gaping holes/flaws throughout the film.  Mostly w/ the script, I believe, but also w/ the direction & acting performances.

Let's talk about some of them:  I did not for one second believe that JK Simmons was now going to 'follow his bliss' and become a chef just b/c George Clooney told him he should.  Nor am I buying Clooney's 'Groom w/ Cold Feet' Pep Talk, & why when the Groom walks back to his Bride is it suddenly shot by a hand-held? I am guessing it is to represent the Groom's unease but as a viewer it is just annoying.  Clooney's recommendation letter? Give me a break! Here is a chance for the 'author/scriptwriter' to tell us what he's learned about Natalie, how she's grown, & it is written through our 'Poet of the Airlines'/Motivational Speaker and that is what we get? And that letter is right after the film completely tossing aside the gift of miles to Clooney's sister for her honeymoon?

There is a remarkable string of scenes in the middle of the film that work, are moving, entertaining, funny, and contain the finest moments of the best acting performances in the film.  That run starts w/ Natalie's text break-up, contains the beautiful 'settling' conversation between Alex & Natalie, and ends w/ them crashing the tech party, running through the Hotel lobby w/ no shoes on.  Good stuff, indeed.

And then Natalie's hostility towards Clooney the next morning is painfully unbelievable, hamfisted and sets us right back down the wrong road again.

Vera Farmiga &Anna Kendrick are by far the best thing in this film.  Their performances shine, Kendrick's in particular b/c she had to do a lot of 'shining' through what appears to be a half-hearted, unfinished script w/ the scriptwriter, himself, Jason Reitman, apparently asleep in the director's chair.

It is a mess, folks.  One Clooney could not even salvage.