Let's start with the good, I was a big fan of Diablo Cody's first film Juno so I had high expectations for YA. To say that this was no juno was putting it lightly juno was a smart dramedy and this is that as well but with a much darker tone to it. Now I don't mind that, I like a film that has a dark sense of humor to it. Problem was I found myself not laughing at this as much as I did with juno. Charlize Theron was completely fearless in her role of a selfish and self obsessed writer Mavis. A women who thinks she has made it because she now lives in the "big city" Minneapolis, Minesota and is a famous writer although no one knows she is since her name dosen't appear on the books. The opening scene is of mavis in bed with the t.v. on with an episode of the reality show kendra playing in the background. Yes folks mavis is living the life she sleeps all day, gets up writes for a couple of hours goes on the occasional date and then does the whole thing all over again. One afternoon mavis receives an invite from an old boyfriend who recently became a father and invites her the the christening, she happily accepts thinking this is a shot for her to rekindle things with said boyfriend buddy. From there we follow mavis into her hometown where we encounter a former chum played by the delightful patton oswalt. The more I got to know mavis the more I really began to hate her which is the point. Clearly this women wasn't going to just come to her senses and realize that what she was doing was wrong in her eyes she was the victim her early marriage which is mentioned briefly in the film failed and everyone in her eyes was supposed to feel sorry for her. It isn't until the end that our heroin realizes that maybe there really is something wrong with her and perhaps she needs help. There is no happy ending with a pretty bow this a raw and unflinching look at a women who still seems to be stuck in her highschool hey day and can't seem to grow up.
My Grade B-
Next up is The Sitter the latest comedy from Jonah Hill and probably the least funniest and one of his worst. This is clearly an updated and loose remake of the 80's classic film The Adventures in Babysitting a true gem if you haven't seen it go out and rent it. I guarantee you will enjoy that more than the sitter. Jonah playing what he knows best a college slacker who is suspended from school and moves back in with his mother. A neighbors sitter cancels and of course Hill's Noah is asked if he could look after them. What ensues is a painful laugh free night of what could possibly go wrong scenarios, including a bomb in a toilet, bringing underage kids to a bar and stealing money from a Bat Mizvah. There is a useless B-story with the outing of character that seems contrived and highly unneeded and noah needing to buy drugs from a drug dealer played by Sam Rockwell. I'm wondering if this story line was created just to give the movie an R rating. It's a dissapointment to see so many good actors being put to waste here (I'm looking at you Ari Graynor). I can understand why this film was made on paper this sounded like a good idea unfortunately when it came to shooting things got lost in translation.
My Grade D
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