ADVENTURELAND review

© Miramax Films

At last, after having the release of Adventureland screwed around with here in Oz I’ve finally been able to see the movie that I was most excited about for 2009.  It may seem like an odd choice for my “most anticipated” considering that so far this year we’ve had Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Up, The Hangover, Terminator Salvation and Public Enemies, and that we’re still awaiting the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Avatar.  Nevertheless, there was something about the combination of actors involved, the writer/director and the setting which greatly appealed to me.

Probably the most important thing to know about Adventureland for those that haven’t seen it yet is that it’s not at all like it’s been marketed.  Despite what the trailers may convey, and the stellar comedic cast suggests, this is not a standard teen sex romp in the Apatow mold.  Instead it’s a heartfelt intimate romance with a hint of the trademake Apatow style humour thrown in in the form of nut shots and erection jokes.  But to be fair these comedic elements are a very minor part of the film and really only serve to stop the film from becoming too dark under the weight of it’s central drama/romance storyline.

The film tells the story of James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) a recent college graduate who is told by his parents that they don’t have the money they promised him to travel when he finished school.  In fact, money has become so tight that he’s forced to get a summer job before he heads off for grad school in New York.  His only successful application comes from the local seasonal theme park, Adventureland.  The park is run by Bobby and Paulette (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig) and populated by other employees Frigo (Matt Bush), Joel (Martin Starr), Em (Kristen Stewart) and Connell (Ryan Reynolds).  It doesn’t take long for James to fall for Em and the film follows the development of their relationship and the complications in their lives over the course of the summer.

For me, the heart and soul of this film comes from the performance by Kristen Stewart as Em, who is a far more complex character than you expect when the film first begins.  Just like her knockout performance in Into The Wild Stewart is a captivating presence.  A real character with a complex story and not just some cardboard version of a girl you expect to get in a film billed as a teen comedy.  Her performance in this film shows me that her turn in Into The Wild was no fluke, and despite the utter mediocrity of Twilight, she has now emerged as someone I’d watch in any film.

Ryan Reynolds is superb as Connell, the somewhat tragic figure who commands the awe of the “kids” working the park, but is actually a sad sack guy who is neither a bad guy or a good guy.  He’s certainly not in the film for comedic purposes.  He’s not a stereotype but instead is a real person.  I never in a million years thought that this is the performance I’d see from Reynolds and was amazed by him for the entirety of the film. His scenes with Stewart are grounded in the sadness and loneliness they feel in their lives, and the comfort they can derive from each other in their brief secret liasons.

Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are the only pure comedic elements of the film but their roles are much less than I thought they’d be (once again mislead by the trailer).  It’s difficult to say if I’d prefer them to have bigger roles as I think a higher degree of comedy in the film would distract from the story being told.  So whilst I was disappointed by the relative lack of screen-time for Hader and Wiig, I think that for the film it’s probably the right amount.  If this were the simple comedy I went in expecting then I’d definitely have liked to have Hader and Wiig on screen more, but because it’s so different than how it’s been advertised I think that their roles are just about perfect.

Frigo is the goofball old childhood friend of James who never outgrown his hyperactivity (I guess he’d be diagnosed ADHD now) and I guess he can be seen as the most consistent comic relief, but even he comes through when James needs him.  It’s this kind of character development and the bonds you see develop between all of the characters which once again shows that this isn’t just a simple teen sex comedy, but something far more interesting.

If Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is the magical tale of what it’s like to fall in love over the course of one night, then Adventureland is the story of what it’s like to fall in love in real life.  There are hardships, friendships, emotions and complications that don’t always make the process easy, but it’s something that everyone remembers.  That’s the overwhelming feeling you get from watching Adventureland.  It thrives on capturing ordinary moments, like when James, Em and Joel are watching the 4th July fireworks or when they’re riding the bumper cars, and it’s these captured moments which show the beauty to be found in falling in love.

CONCLUSION
I love it.  I’m pissed that it has taken this long for me to see it, but I’m glad that it exceeded my already high expectations.  I’m also overjoyed that it has now moved into the #1 spot on my list of 2009 films, having overtaken The Hangover.  What’s even better is that I know I’m not talking myself into liking this film just because it was my “most anticipated” because it’s so different from what I expected it to be.  I love it, it’s really that simple.  I love it, I love it, I love it.

FINAL GRADE: A