Youth in Revolt

Michael Cera gets a chance to cut loose a little bit in the dual roles of Nick Twisp and Francois Dillinger in this deranged teen romance based on the C.D. Payne novel. Nick is a shy, nebbish kid who must go off to a trailer park for the summer when his mother’s boyfriend (Zach Galifianakis) gets threatened by angry sailors. There, he meets Sheeni (Portia Doubleday), instantly falls in love, and creates an alter ego (Francois) to perform dirty deeds. The film is at its best when Cera’s Francois is onscreen, mainly because it’s cool to see Cera doing something different. This is one of those movies where the really funny stuff is packed into the trailers, but the remainder of the film is good enough for a look-see. Not amazing, but pretty good for an early year release.