Music, Style & Culture

Young Adult

Immensely refreshing, with an unforgettably perverse turn from Charlize Theron.

Released in cinemas 3rd February 2012.

Juno director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody reunite for an extraordinarily mature, smart and acerbic film with an outstanding central performance from Charlize Theron.

The actress plays Mavis, a ghost writer for a series of young adult books modelled on the Sweet Valley High franchise. Living with her semi-neglected pet pooch in a skyrise apartment, she lives a slovenly life of takeaways, partying and crap dates. When she gets a round-robin email from her high school sweetheart Brad (Patrick Wilson) announcing the birth of his first baby, Mavis is triggered into revisiting the small town she grew up in. As the former beautiful, popular mean girl, she sets out to "free" Brad from what she sees as a miserable entrapment with his new family. In the mean time, she sparks up an unlikely friendship of convenience with Matt (Patton Oswalt), a former victim of her clique's bullying who also has maturity issues.

After the irritating Juno and the try-hard Jennifer's Body, Cody now writes as an adult - not as the false, romanticised memory of a precocious teenager. She finds her stride with this astute and honest story; Young Adult must be lauded for making its train-wreck lead character a million miles from the ghastly, patronising portrayal of single women in most comedies. There's a fine line being trod, but Cody's script never takes the moral high ground. Yes, Mavis is unhappy, but it's not because she's single, it's because of her infantile, regressive nature.

Theron continues to be one of the most compelling actresses working in Hollywood. Her ability to mould her beauty is extraordinary, here it's used as her manipulative tool; there's a weariness to her lazy beauty rituals, as if she's putting on armour. Theron's brave and intelligent performance is masterful - equalling her incredible Oscar-winning work in Monster (in a very different scenario). Any viewer whose peers raced ahead with the marriage and kids lifestyle will feel wry pleasure at her dismissives. The gloriously bitchy Mavis is extreme in her attitude, but there's a truth present - Theron also makes the most awful moments strangely sympathetic.

Patrick Wilson is good, if necessarily bland, as the former high school hunk turned endearing everyman now married to Elizabeth Reaser's mum/amateur drummer. A moment where Mavis observes Buddy's adoration of his wife's slightly rubbish band speaks a thousand words - before Mavis breaks the silence with a wildy inappropriate line. The married couple are a brilliant mirror to Mavis and Matt's immature behaviour - Matt tries to talk Mavis out of her scheme on many an occasion, but bears witness like a car crash rubber-necker. Oswalt and Theron have a remarkable chemistry as the unlikeliest film buddies you'll see - their banter is priceless and frequently painful to witness. While Matt steps slightly too far into stereotypical geek (complete with painted fantasy figurines), his backstory is tinged with tragedy.

Reitman brings the same control of Up in the Air's nonjudgmental examination of adult life, with a warmth and comfortable ease with his characters and cast. The '90s alt-rock soundtrack plays a big part in the film, with Teenage Fanclub's 'The Concept' the virtual title theme.

The story's evolution and conclusion is surprising and touching, if uncomfortable. An unpredictable, bold film that doesn't follow traditional Hollywood story-telling tradition, Young Adult is certainly bleak, yet relatable enough to be morbidly funny. Immensely refreshing, with an unforgettably perverse turn from Theron.

Rating: 8/10