Troubled thirty-something tries to steal back engaged ex.
I can respect any film that looks uncompromisingly at a distinctly unpleasant person and finds pathos and compassion without resorting to feel-good clichés or typical, redemptive Hollywood story arcs. With their desperation to please, comedies tend to present characters as we wish to see ourselves — engaging in witty banter, falling in love, and effectively using laughter as a weapon to undercut palpable undercurrents of depression and anxiety.
Young Adult, jet-black and jagged, does none of the above; as far as Hollywood entertainment comes, it goes down about as well as one of Mavis’ (played by a fearless Charlize Theron) bourbon shots. The film is about a cruel, shallow person living an unhappy, empty life; as it progresses, the glimpses of severe depression, addiction, and even schizophrenia become unmistakable signs of a stagnant person in a state of emotional decay. While others might (and did – it was not a particularly popular film) detest Theron’s Mavis to the point that they are unable to find any connection to the film, I was riveted if only because what I found most contemptible about Mavis was that she so openly flaunted the faults I fear I hide with myself. It’s not much of a comedy, but it’s a hell of a character study.
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