It's hard to imagine just how the producers managed to convince anyone to back a script so irredeemably humorless, charmless and boring. One can only assume none of the money people actually read Diablo (Juno) Cody's screenplay - and believe it or not the direction was worse again: long pointless shots of the principal sleeping, waking, slobbing around her nondescript city apartment, shagging nameless strangers met online, shuffling and scowling thru car parks and department stores in her tracky-dacks and driving thru desolate urban landscapes .
I found myself disliking Mavis, the principal character played by Charlize Theron - from the first shot. To suggest that her flaws were in any way a matter of immaturity - 'Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up' - is an insult to young people and immature people everywhere. Not immaturity but apathy, arrogance, a puzzling sense of entitlement and just plain old self-centered meanness are the qualities that make Mavis singularly unattractive. I won't go into the plot, a flabby and pointless variation on the girl/guy who makes good in the big city and returns to their small town to find the one-that-got-away, other than to say that her lost love seems well aware Theron has schlepped into the wrong movie, giving Mavis the about-face quick smart and sending her on her way, much to the collective relief of everyone else in her home town. Apparently Mavis was a right royal stuck up b.tch at high school and had remained so ever since. At least she stayed true to herself.
My recommendation, in a nutshell, is don't touch this one with a barge pole. Seriously, do not be tempted- life is short, and you'll never get these 2 hrs back.
Oh- unless you're the sort of person who likes to laugh at people with disabilities. If you do, maybe you'll enjoy this movie, but judging by my fellow viewers' sighs and groans of disgust and disbelief you will be one of few.
PS Having written the above and then checked over the professional reviews on RT, many of which applaud the verite and real world honesty, I can only say that most reviewers neglect to mention that the movie is just not engaging.
I found myself disliking Mavis, the principal character played by Charlize Theron - from the first shot. To suggest that her flaws were in any way a matter of immaturity - 'Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up' - is an insult to young people and immature people everywhere. Not immaturity but apathy, arrogance, a puzzling sense of entitlement and just plain old self-centered meanness are the qualities that make Mavis singularly unattractive. I won't go into the plot, a flabby and pointless variation on the girl/guy who makes good in the big city and returns to their small town to find the one-that-got-away, other than to say that her lost love seems well aware Theron has schlepped into the wrong movie, giving Mavis the about-face quick smart and sending her on her way, much to the collective relief of everyone else in her home town. Apparently Mavis was a right royal stuck up b.tch at high school and had remained so ever since. At least she stayed true to herself.
My recommendation, in a nutshell, is don't touch this one with a barge pole. Seriously, do not be tempted- life is short, and you'll never get these 2 hrs back.
Oh- unless you're the sort of person who likes to laugh at people with disabilities. If you do, maybe you'll enjoy this movie, but judging by my fellow viewers' sighs and groans of disgust and disbelief you will be one of few.
PS Having written the above and then checked over the professional reviews on RT, many of which applaud the verite and real world honesty, I can only say that most reviewers neglect to mention that the movie is just not engaging.