Youth in Revolt Directed by: Miguel Arteta Cast: Michael Cera, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, Portia Doubleday Rating: R Release Date: October 30, 2009
Trailer Score: 6/10
My Thoughts: If Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist wasn't Cera's first true starring vehicle, here comes Youth in Revolt, an R-rated comedy about a young man trying to win the heart of a girl who isn't interested in him. And judging by the trailer's explosions and light mustaches, it appears that Cera's charcter, Nick Twisp, will follow Malcolm X's creed "By any means necessary!" to do so.
With the help of a few notable names (Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, and what may be just a cameo from Zach Galifianakis), it looks like Cera will be leading Youth in Revolt with his (consistent) onscreen insecurities and shyness. Those who are growing weary of the Canadian actor will probably not cheer when they see that this movie actually has double the Cera - but it's possible his mustached alter-ego "Francois" could be an amusing departure from the MC we continually associate with "quirky comedies." For some, this could be a Defcon 1 Michael Cera overload. Or for most of my lady friends, this could be one step closer to shy boy heaven.
The lack of laughs coming from this trailer have me a tad concerned with the abundance of humor from the film, in the same way I fear the movie's more outrageous corners have now been revealed. Was this movie not released when it was intended last February for a reason?
Still, curiosity stands for a trailer that seems both somewhat original (alter personality) and really worn out (the ol' running around in the night while naked gag). Youth in Revolt seems bound to become a coming of age story told with a lot of wackiness, but who knows what kind of following it will gather when it is released next month?