Youth in Revolt
This is a fairly sophisticated teen comedy with shades of David Fincher's 'Fight Club'. In both movies, the humour is incredibly dark and the protagonist's schizophrenia is represented by an imagined friend. Here, Michael Cera is required to play both roles: the teenage hero Nick Twisp and his villainous alter-ego, Francois Dillinger. Cera is great, showing a subtlety missing from his turns in comedies like 'Superbad' and 'Year One'.
He's ably supported by the charming Portia Doubelday and the always excellent trio of Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta and Fred Willard. Director Miguel Arteta deserves credit for creating some wonderfully surreal set pieces - which are also very funny - and some beautiful animated sequences.
The film is uneven, but doesn't over-stay its welcome (at 90 minutes long) and, for the most part, steers clear of gross-out humour and foul language in favour of well-rounded characters and sharp dialogue.
