Youth in Revolt
Having seen him in “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “Superbad,” “Paper Heart,” “Juno,” and TV’s “Arrested Development,” I can very much see Michael Cera playing the same type of characters John Cusack does- neurotic, insecure, sometimes painfully funny.
In “Youth in Revolt,” he’s playing another character in that vein. Cera stars as Nick Twisp, an awkward 16-year old with a need to get laid that comes from everyone around him getting some regularly. (Well, except his crooked dicked friend, but that’s something for another time.)
Anyway, when his mother (Jean Smart) and her boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifianakis) and he have to hide out from some angry Navy men (don’t ask), he meets an intriguing cutie named Sheeni (the yummy Portia Doubleday is jail bait with a wicked sense of humor). She comes from a church-going family, but she’s also a free spirit like him (and also welcomely frank about sex). They hit it off- it’s love at first sight for him. Unfortunately, she has a tool of a boyfriend he has to take out of the picture- as well as a long-distance obstacle to overcome- in order to make his heart’s wishes come true.
What follows is Nick’s transformation from average kid to bad boy with the help of alter ego Francois Dillenger. Credit writer Gustin Nash (based on C.D. Payne’s book) and director Miguel Arteta (“Chuck and Buck,” “The Good Girl”) for managing to turn the teen comedy genre on its’ head with just enough of a dash of “Fight Club” to make things interesting. Like Tyler Durden, Francois is an outlet for all the dangerous impulses Nick just can’t express. He’s Super Id to Nick’s average Joe, and Cera plays both with wit and heart. He and Doubleday are a sweet and sexy Romeo & Juliet (or rather, Bonnie & Clyde) for a new generation.
