Dark and at times uncomfortable to watch, “Young Adult” is also fascinating.
Directed by Jason Reitman, written by Diablo Cody and starring Charlize Theron – this is the cinematic equilavant of a train wreck that you can’t turn away from. It’s a film that starts in a dark place and never compromises, with Theron delivering one of the best performances of her career.
Theron plays Mavis Gary, a recently divorced writer living in Minneapolis who discovers her high school sweetheart Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) and his wife are now proud parents. Instead of congratulating Buddy on his new addition, Mavis returns to her small hometown determined to steal him from his family. Mavis is convinced they can rekindle their past relationship, even as another former high school classmate Matt (Patton Oswalt) tries to convince her otherwise.
Anyone expecting Mavis to have some sort of epiphany will be disappointed. Cody, who won an Oscar for writing “Juno,” has created a mess of a character that is for the most part very unlikeable. Mavis is a surly, bitter, lonely alcoholic desperately clinging to this idea of a great life – even when everyone else in her life has moved on.
It’s the kind of film where you know it’s going to end badly and Reitman and Cody never compromise.
Theron is fantastic as Mavis. She deserves a lot of credit for taking this rather ugly character and not shying away. I realize she won an Oscar for “Monster,” but I actually think this is a better performance – one that is more subtle but just as effective.
Oswalt is also very good, a seemingly grounded guy who has nearly as much baggage as Mavis.
I’ll concede that some people might find “Young Adult” to be a little too dark, but for me that was the why it worked so well. Not every movie character has to live happily ever after.
Grade: A-
mcompton
