Youth in revolt

Directed by Miguel Arteta. Starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Steve Buscemi, Justin Long, Ray Liotta, Jean Smart, Fred Willard, Zach Galifianakis 15 cert, gen release, 90 min

CD Payne's Youth in Revoltnovels have, it seems, a committed following among American readers. Tap through literary websites and you will frequently see the books compared to those of the late JD Sallinger.

Sadly, Miguel Arteta's film has turned out to be something of a dog's dinner. For all its distinguished origins, Youth in Revoltmost often resembles yet another post -American Pie, pop-your-cherry comedy. The film may sound a little like The Catcher in the Rye, but it turns out more like Superbad.

Michael Cera (who else?) plays teenage aesthete Nick Twisp, a stringy fan of French and Japanese cinemawho encounters the girl of his dreams (Portia Doubleday) while holidaying at a trailer park. The affair is, however, impeded by the girl’s terrifyingly religious parents and by her association with a sleek preppie who would be called Brad if he weren’t actually called Trent.

Troubled by his clumsiness, Nick devises an alter-ego named François. Equipped with Gable’s moustache and Belmondo’s smoking affectations, the quasi- Gallic romancer tries to draw out his creator’s inner romantic.

But what are we looking at when we look at François? Is the slick seducer actually inhabiting his creator or standing beside him muttering encouragement? When other characters stare at Nick, do they see him or do they see the empty space where Jimmy Stewart’s imaginary rabbit once stood?

That unintended ambiguity is characteristic of a film with a serious identity crisis. Occasionally leaning towards Wes Anderson quirk (and, to be fair, the eccentricity of Arteta's own Chuck and Buck), Youth in Revoltnever quite has the courage to wholly abandon its lowbrow safety net. Look for it between two stools.