Young Adult

Marketed as a comedy, this train wreck of a story is anything but funny. It's the second collaboration between director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody but it's a huge disappointment after the success of "Juno".

Charlize Theron is Mavis, an unhappy writer who returns to her hometown looking to reunite with her high school boyfriend. Mavis has very few redeeming qualities and watching her awkward attempts to win back Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson, is difficult to watch. Upon her return, the one person Mavis does connect with is Matt, played by Patton Oswalt, when these two damaged people find common ground in their failures.

Ms. Theron acting is excellent but her character is filled with such self loathing, she's impossible to like and the slow, boring pace of the story just contributes to the cloud of depression that hangs over the entire film. When the movie ended, I felt the need to see another movie right away just to wash away the memory of "Young Adult".