YOUTH IN REVOLT directed by Miguel Arteta, written by Gustin Nash from the novel by C.D. Payne, with Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart and Zach Galifianakis. An Alliance release. 90 minutes. Opens Friday (January 8). For venues, times, and trailers, see Movies. Rating: NN
The expiry date on Michael Cera’s passive-aggressive awkwardness looms ever closer.
This drab adaptation of C.D. Payne’s novel casts the gangly actor as Nick Twisp, a twitchy 16-year-old virgin who reinvents himself as a bad boy to impress his would-be girlfriend (Portia Doubleday).
Despite a lot of shouting and running around, very little happens, and Steve Buscemi, Zach Galifianakis, Jean Smart, Ray Liotta, M. Emmet Walsh and Mary Kay Place are wasted in walk-ons.
Cera does get to stretch beyond his established persona as Nick’s imaginary alter ego, blue-eyed French provocateur François Dillinger, but that just makes his “real” self even less interesting by comparison.
That said, if you think the sight of Cera running around in nothing but socks and boxers is automatically hilarious, add two Ns to this rating. Hell, add 10. It still wouldn’t help.[rssbreak]
