DVD reviews
Waiting For Forever
The film falters, with too many stories to follow all at once...
The Entitled
...twisted and paints a scary picture of modern American youth.
The Orator
...watchable and even enlightening...
The Dead
...impressively original...
search the site
newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive the weekly Filmink newsletter
Youth In Revolt (DVD)
Year: 2009
Rating: MA
Director: Miguel Arteta
Cast: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Zach Galifianakis
Release Date: July 22, 2010
Distributor: Roadshow
The Film: 4.0
The Disc: 3.0
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5While ocasionally a little too clever for its own good, this witty and ambitious comedy comes out on top.
It's sad that while unoriginal teen dross fills cinemas, a witty and ambitious comedy like Youth In Revolt ends up straight to DVD. Based on C.D. Payne's cult novel, Youth In Revolt sees Michael Cera take on the role of sixteen-year-old frustrated virgin Nick Twisp. As well as despairing about his sex life, or lack thereof, Nick's had it with his pathetic parents. When he meets the sassy Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), he falls hard. In order to win her over, Nick invents a sinister alter-ego, the suavely mustached Francois, who disregards anything but his own desires.
Director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) opts for a deadpan style that effectively undercuts the increasing absurdity of the narrative. It's a tricky tone to maintain, and occasionally the film is a little too clever and verbose for its own good. It's always watchable though, thanks largely to the two lead performances. Newcomer Doubleday is a real find, and Cera offers up his familiar adorably awkward persona, but also hilariously acts against type via his callous alter-ego. The supporting players - including Zach Galifianakis as the loser boyfriend of Nick's mum, and Ray Liotta as a sleazy cop - are terrific. Special features include a handful of genuinely funny deleted scenes.