Sulking from scene to scene with minimal music and an acrimonious attitude, “Young Adult” is unlike any other movie you have seen.
In fact, it even drastically differs from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman's previous collaboration “Juno” in the way that its sarcasm is less quirky than it is parched as the style succumbs to all of the self-loathing being done by its primary character. Speaking of which, actress Charlize Theron gives the best performance of the year as said character, carrying the dark comedy in which she plays a painfully pathetic person whose every action is as side-splitting as it is gut-wrenching.
Theron plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to relive her glory days and attempt to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). However, when returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who has not quite gotten over high school, either.
“Young Adult” is a cynical little movie with an exceptionally snide sense of humor. The movie's cruelty – to which it completely commits without a care in the world – is its greatest quality. In other words, it makes no excuses for Mavis. However, as unlikeable as Theron's character is, the viewer somehow sympathizes with her.
Perhaps that is because of the desperation behind each and every one of Mavis's irrational actions, as creatively written by Cody, or maybe it is as simple as the casting of Theron in the role. The actress can shoot sour facial expressions like nobody else, making each and every minute of “Young Adult” an absolute pleasure to watch.
However, Reitman's limited use of music (save for Teenage Fanclub's “The Concept”) or even much of a score makes for a strange cinematic experience – or at least an atypical one. This accentuates the movie's mood, though, and is yet another quality that makes “Young Adult” so incredibly unique. Moreover, this understated technique allows Cody's script to essentially speak for itself.
And said script is filled with moments that manage to find that difficult-to-perfect balance between comedy and tragedy. Best of all, there is a poignancy to “Young Adult,” albeit one that we may not necessarily wish to admit. After all, growing up is not always a pretty process. Mavis is an excellent example of that.
“Young Adult” (R – 94 minutes) is now playing at movie theaters throughout the Valley. Visit FirstLook.com for specific showtimes.
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