vchimpanzee This was described as a comedy. I didn't see many laughs. Overall, this movie was actually quite depressing, but because Charlize Theron is such a good actress, it wasn't all that bad. And Patton Oswalt added a lot as a likeable loser. I know him best as the "Goldbergs" narrator but I may soon see much more of him as a loser of a principal in "A.P. Bio". I liked him there too. Yes, he plays losers very well.One example of how good Charlize Theron is in this movie is the fact that, to me, she seemed sane but troubled. Could she have been mentally ill? Possibly. Really going off the deep end might have been another way to go, and she's good enough as an actress that would have worked. That's just not how this movie was done, and it may have been more enjoyable for me personally as a result. What appealed to me most was how good-looking she is. It is true that in the early, depressing scenes in the Minneapolis high-rise, with the Kardashians (I know this from the credits) on the TV, I didn't know who she was since I hadn't seen the credits, and I didn't think she was pretty either. Later, when she made an effort to look good and put on a sexy dress, Mavis looked amazing.It added something to hear Mavis narrate her book. And we could see her writing process as she listened to actual girls talk and started typing. For a mentally unbalanced girl going after her ex, though, you can't do better than the CW series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend", and that show is actually funny.Let me add more about Matt. He was sort of the voice of reason here. He had many logical things to say, and despite Mavis' reaction to him, he was actually doing pretty well with his life. Not a success by most definitions, but he wasn't really using his disabilities to keep from facing life either.On the other hand, I found his sister's behavior surprising at the end.The actors playing the Slades also did a good job and their characters reacted well to the presence of this possible troublemaker. They could have acted in the expected way but didn't. Buddy was generally pleasant to Mavis.I suppose it goes without saying this isn't family-friendly. The language was obviously cleaned up in several scenes and I was grateful.I find it curious that Hampton Inn was willing to be identified by name and yet be represented by a clerk with the attitude "What-EVER. I'm just here until I get through with college and then I'm OUTTA here." Not a good image for a real hotel chain, but a good if brief performance.The music must have been what Charlize Theron liked, or possibly her fans. It did not appeal to me, and that's probably to be expected. That's not to say all the music was bad. There was a girl singing "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters. And my favorite music was played on acoustic guitar. It was simply background music used several times with the action going from one location to another with no dialogue. Each time, Mavis was having her nails done at one point, although the third time, a stand-up bass was playing in the nail salon and a piano was added after that.There are plenty of people, I'm sure, who would enjoy this type of movie. It just wasn't as good for someone with my taste as other movies.

email-05199 I'm a fan of movies and (especially) books with polarized reviews. It usually means that something about it offends people in a compelling way worth experiencing. This movie was the same. And also different. Theron does a brilliant acting job. Her subtle facial expressions, attitude and tone of voice are awe-inspiring. She makes this film. It's worth watching for as long as you can to simply appreciate how good she really is. It's why this film won its awards.If you begin watching knowing you won't make it to the end, you'll enjoy it a lot more. Part of the irony of this film is that the main character is so unlikeable that you give up on her - before the film is over. And, that is OK! More than OK. Watch it until the point that you become thrilled you are no longer in high school. That you're no longer trapped by high school immaturity. That you're past that phase of your life, and fortunate enough to NOT be living in that past. Then go have (just) one glass of wine to celebrate. And be happy you didn't turn out to be the emotionally stunted, depressed alcoholic played brilliantly by Theron. If you stop one third of the way, you'll probably want to give it eight stars. For each 1/6 of the way longer, you'll want to drop it by a star. So stop while you're ahead and just appreciate the acting. And your life as it is now.

Caroline Phillips Charlize Theron has never been better as Mavis Gary, a depressed alcoholic ghost writer of a young adult book series who finds her career opportunities drying up as the end of the series draws near. To make matters worse, she receives word that, Buddy, her former flame, has invited her to a baby shower for his newborn child. Thinking this is a cry for help, Mavis heads back home to rescue Buddy from a world of suburban anguish.You can't help but feel bad for Mavis and she gets herself into cringe-worthy scene after scene. It's a testament to Theron's gifts as an actress that we should care about this destructive monster one iota. Theron, with writer Diablo Cody, creates a monster so real, so raw, and so vulnerable that you won't be able to stop thinking about her for weeks afterwards.Also excellent is Patton Oswald as Matt, a former classmate of Mavis, who was beaten up for being gay (he wasn't) and now has to walk with braces. In many ways, Matt is the eyes of the audience - drawn to a revolted by Mavis at the same time.The ending does away with typical morality and lessons found in Hollywood films and is all the better for it. Some people never will change.Young Adult is a fresh, funny, disturbing, and raw comedy that's sure to become a cult favorite in the years to come.

ironoxidey It was really difficult to like Charlize Theron's character in this film. She was despicable. I don't know if I was supposed to care for her; but nothing in me did. I kept wondering if they were going to redeem her somehow, so I kept watching. "Maybe they'll reveal that this was all just an elaborate ploy to get some inspiration for her book." Sort of, but she wasn't pretending. And it didn't wrap up with her feeling super contended with the great story that she'd written.I think there were a lot of better ways this film could have gone. Unfortunately, the few moments that were enjoyable, were not good enough for me to feel comfortable recommending this film to any of my friends.