Movies Features

Unseen Movie Review: Young Adult

By Adam D. Dec 9, 2011, 15:32 GMT

A divorced, young-adult fiction writer returns to her hometown to chase the ex-boyfriend that got away. ...more

Why is it we like some films and we hate others? It’s not really because we don’t like the story but more often it’s because we don’t like how the story is told. In most cases films don’t really offer a unique or original thought.

There are very few Keyser Sozes popping up on the screen, so if you come across a director who can tell a really good story no matter what the content it’s worth noting.

Jason Reitman is that director. His past three films have all (in my opinion) been expertly told. Juno thrust him into the limelight (and an Oscar nomination) but check out Thank You For Smoking, a great film that pulled a great performance out of Aaron Eckhart.

There is nothing terribly original about Juno other than the way people talk. A teenage girl gets pregnant and is going to put her baby up for adoption. When you say it like that it sounds like something that would show up on Lifetime, but in Reitman’s capable hands it becomes a great story.

Some people have said that the dialogue in Juno gets in the way of the story, but I’ve always felt that Reitman did a good job at balancing both. The film is not about how the characters talk, it was always about Juno. The fact that the characters talked differently just added to who these people were and the story we were seeing.

Up in the Air was one of the best films (if not the best film) of 2009. Again, there’s nothing terribly original in this story. A man who travels all the time and does not want to plant roots of any kind with people suddenly has a change of heart. Clooney gives a terrific performance, but it’s Reitman’s direction that keeps the story moving and interesting.

When I first heard that Jason Reitman was a new director with Thank You for Smoking I hated him before even seeing a frame of film. I mean how hard is it to direct your own movie when your dad is Ivan Reitman.

I just figured the conversation went something like this:

Ivan: How was your day son?
Jason: Good.
(Awkward pause)
Jason: I want to direct a movie
Ivan: Ok, talk to my assistant’s assistant in the morning. I have poker tonight with Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis
Jason: Where’s Ernie Hudson?
Ivan: Who?

But Reitman can deliver the goods. Thank You was good. Juno was great and Up in the Air was amazing. So I am really looking forward to Young Adult, his new one opening this weekend. Young Adult reunites him with screenwriter Diablo Cody who has proven she can put a tight story together on the page.

The film also allows Charlize Theron to sink her teeth into a great role about a woman who returns to her hometown to win back her ex- boyfriend even though he’s married with a family. Charlize proved she could act in Monster, but has really been underutilized since then. I think Young Adult will allow her to stretch again. She can be very funny. Check out her interview with Zach Galifianakis in Between Two Ferns.

A funny, smart, well told story? You can be sure I’ll be seeing Young Adult opening weekend. Jason Reitman has proved he is a master storyteller. I just hope Ernie Hudson pops up at some point.