ADULT WORLD (2013)

Directed By: Scott Coffey 
Written By: Andrew Cochran 
Cinematography By: James Laxton 
Editor: David Heinz & Gina Hirsch 


Cast: Emma Roberts, John Cusack, Evan Peters, Cloris Leachman, Shannon Woodward, Scott Coffey

Amy, a naive college graduate who believes she's destined to be a great poet, begrudgingly accepts a job at a sex shop while she pursues a mentorship with reclusive writer Rat Billings.

This seems like a pretty vanilla story, that seems to aspire to be groundbreaking in it's own way. It feels like a film that most people associate with an independent or sundance type film. Only without any real insight. As this comes off as commercially quirky. As it feels quirky only for quirkiness sake. That reveals the obvious which seems to be the moral of the story.

That you can't necessarily be a good writer only based on ideas of grandeur it because you feel it. You also need to have experience.

Emma Roberts is charming as a spoiled wanna be poet. Who comes to work in a sex shop out of necessity after her parents cut her off financially. Appalled at first she eventually becomes friends with her co-workers who she insults at first but they come to love her. Her cross-gendered co-worker becomes her particular rock and best friend. As she tries to grow out of her pampered suburban existence.

Emma Roberts is actually perfect In this role. As before she has played bitchy snobs, who have an air of arrogance but are also a high level of pretension and entitlement. Here her character has the same but realizes at certain points how naive and sheltered she is and seems at heart to be a decent person. Just really uninformed. Throughout the film she learns to grow. As the film seems to mirror the direction she might be taking her career

The film is often too sweet for it's own food. As it never truly becomes engaging as you have seen most of it before. So that it offers. I real reason why you should care about her or any of the other characters and their situations. As the film offers no kind of identity or spirit of it's own. It would be one thing if it was supposed to be low key and make a point. But that point never really comes.

Even John Cusack's character the once great rebellious poet doesn't really add anything to the film, nor his character. Who seems to follow the cliche of most writing mentors in films. Being an alcoholic, misanthropic, womanizing jerk. Who by the end might have taught their student something about themselves that paves the road for them to be a good writer.

Though other then Roberts, John Cusack seems to be the best thing in the film as he increasingly looks uncomfortable, but at least puts energy into his role. That he easily could have sleepwalked through.

As one watches the film, you can't Keep from wondering how and why this film got made. Is it supposed to be a hard edged teen/youth film about the confusing time after college and Into full adulthood?

Especially as it ends like a Cinderella story. Gaining all that she drama of in a different way. Right after checking off a few new experiences.

When it comes to this film, like the main character it feels like a spoiled girls coming of age. Learning the rules of life. Only in the most quirkiest way possible. Mistaking whimsy for depth, that flirts with darkness, but is pretty clean and tame.

This is like a young adult movie that is too dirty as far as language for them to be allowed to watch. Though it seems like they would be the ones who would really champion and maybe more thin the film revelatory then an adult who would no doubt roll their eyes through most of the film. 

GRADE: D