Superbad (2007)

Had heard many good things about this - essentially a familiar sounding teen movie about three hapless guys looking to score with the ladies and the catastrophic chain of events that befall them as they try to make their way to a party in order to achieve the above - but I’m not sure it quite lived up to them. Sure, in parts this is very funny and it plays, again in parts, like a classic Fawlty Towers episode, where things just degenerate from bad to worse for the protagonists but you’re still left clinging to this bizarre sense of sympathy for the characters you’re never quite sure is fully deserved. This aspect it did very well.

However…

Movie Years Meltdown

Huge problem with the actors this year. I still reckon there's at least 10 awards worthy films to be seen: including, and not restricted to, American Gangster, Sweeny Todd, Into the Wild, No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James.., There Will Be Blood and Charlie Wilson's War.

Trouble is I'm struggling badly to find any room on my top 5 actors. It's currently a resolute 8 and I really don't like the idea of bumping any of them. 3, and maybe even more, of these would have walked into my top 5 in many other years.

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Chris Cooper - Breach
James McAvoy - Atonement
Russell Crowe - 3:10 to Yuma
Gordon Pinsent - Away from Her
Christopher Mintz-Plasse - Superbad
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - The Lookout

Superbad

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in Superbad

The best comedy of the year in a year that's had more than it's fair share of better than fair comedy fare. Hot Fuzz was great as was Knocked Up but this wins hands down. Not perfect - a little too much downtime here and there - trim 10 minutes and I believe it would have been stronger. That said I enjoyed it immensely and I'm really seriously considering the possibility of Christopher Mintz-Plasse finding a spot on my top 5 actors comes year end for his terrific creation of McLovin'. An absolutely terrific debut performance.

Superbad is a high school teen movie, but one with brains and wit and a heart. Michael Cera pretty much reprises his Arrested Development persona but does so very well - he does the awkward teenager as well as anyone. Jonah Hill, who also appeared in Knocked Up, plays his best friend, and the film explores their last hurrah as high school seniors. It's one day in the life of two high school guys trying to get laid but if that doesn't sound particularly original then I'm doing it a disservice because you don't need originality if you do it this well.

Highly recommended. Go see it. Can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.

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