I’m reposting the review of Cedar Rapids I originally wrote at Sundance, now that it’s in theaters (at least in these cities). When I wrote it, I worried all the festival spectacle would keep me from being able to write a fair review. But my girlfriend dragged me to it again over the weekend, and if anything, it was better than I remembered. John C. Reilly is a God.

Cedar Rapids: Another Miguel Arteta comedy stupid people won’t get

Before I start my review of Cedar Rapids, I thought, in the interests of diversity, I’d share the review I overheard from the two old guys standing next to me on the bus coming back from the theater.

OLD GUY 1: That black guy was hysterical!  When he was doing those jokes about The Wire?

OLD GUY 2:  The black guy was in The Wire?

OLD GUY 1:  Yeah!  He was like the second biggest cop on The Wire!

OLD GUY 2: Oh yeah, he was great.  And you know Anne Hetch’s character, she reminded me of that Vera Fegamo, when she played the traveling salesman in that one movie?  Aw Christ, what was it called…

(No one says anything.  “…Up in the Air?” I offer.)

OLD GUY 2:  Yeah! Up in the Air!  She reminded me of Vera Fegamo in that.

Long story short, they liked it.

And so did I.  Despite direction by Miguel Arteta, whose last film, Youth In Revolt made my 2010 top 10 list, I didn’t know if I would.  The trailer makes it look like a sort of slapsticky, desperately quirky romp in the vein of Dinner for Schmucks, with Ed Helms playing the Steve Carell role of schmucky rube.  It isn’t that. Quirky, sure, but it takes pains to make the characters real people and not retarded cartoons. Yes, Cedar Rapids is a mainstream comedy.  But it’s a mainstream comedy in the original sense of the description, before “mainstream comedy” meant “pandering drivel for idiots,” when having a sweet message and a character who says “buttf*ck” weren’t mutually exclusive.
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Youth in Revolt isn’t a movie about which I can say, “Go see it!  You’ll love it!”  Because, based on word of mouth and a lot of other reviews I’ve read, there’s a good chance you won’t.  I don’t know why.  Maybe it’s because it’s a “small” movie.  It’s not hugely ambitious, but it seeks only to be charming and entertaining, and it succeeds.

What I can tell you is that I loved it.  I went in expecting a high-concept laffer (that’s Variety slanguage for a straightforward comedy with an easily-explained premise) about awkward Michael Cera using his vulgar alter ego, Francois Dillinger to get laid.  Game, set, snatch.  Instead I got this sort of extended, absurdist riff.  It was a pleasant surprise — quirky in the original sense of the word, when it still meant charming and strange, and not obnoxiously twee.  It manages to be offbeat in a way that’s intelligent without feeling smug, and honest without being cringe-inducingly earnest, like so many indie films and your fruity love letters.

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After the jump, watch five new short vignettes from Youth in Revolt, starring and introduced by Michael Cera.  I’ve been sold on this movie ever since the red-band trailer, so I won’t be watching any more promotional clips before the movie comes out.  Out of respect to people like me, I’m putting this picture of Cera eating pizza with Jersey Shore’s JWOWW (is that the correct number of W’s?) courtesy of Videogum on the main page.  I can only assume they’re having a contest to see who’ll be the first to get a mouthful of grease and Italian sausage.  OH!  Fuggeddaboutit!  Yeah?  So’s ya motha, jerkoff.  *grabs crotch, drives off in cab*

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Here’s a new short clip from Youth in Revolt, the Michael Cera-alter-ego movie that I still think looks awesome.  It opens January 8th.  This clip has Zach Galifianakis, and I hope they use lots of him, because he was only in Up in the Air for a minute and then disappeared, and I totally got Zach Galifianakis blue balls.  He spends most of this clip slurping his beer and eating like a pig.  It’s so over the top gross that it’s an accurate parody of Bizarre Foods‘ Andrew Zimmern.  I don’t know why I keep trying to watch that show.  Seeing that disgusting f*ck eat is like watching two drunk cows French kiss.

This is the second trailer for Youth in Revolt, the red-band version that doesn’t cut out the swears.  The plot of Youth in Revolt is pretty simple: Michael Cera is a sensitive puss who can’t get laid, so he grows a Tyler Durden-like split personality who’s awesome because he cusses and acts a total dick to everyone. Have we seen this before? Of course — at least twice in Jim Carrey movies alone.  But who cares?  This has some of the best one-liners since Kenny Powers.

“You get aroused easily?  Don’t stop, Frank.  For all we know, my vagina could be moist with desire as we speak.”

“I’ve created a supplemental persona named Francois Dillinger.”

“So what is your plan, sh-thead?  I’m gonna help you stick your filthy d-ck in this tomato.”

“I’m gonna wrap your legs around my head and wear you like the crown that you are.”

What a coincidence, my Tyler Durden-style alter ego also stuck his d-ck in a tomato. When my mom asked what I was doing I just screamed “PROJECT MAYHEM!” and dove out the window.

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