#17. Superbad (2007) / Adventureland (2009)
(director: Greg Mottola; starring (Superbad) Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse; (Adventureland) Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Martin Starr)
The second half of the decade saw cinematic comedy dominated by the name “Apatow”, although if there was one name that actually deserved the praise it would be that of part-time Apatow collaborator Greg Mottola (Apatow actually had nothing to do with Mottola’s follow-up to Superbad, Adventureland, but that didn’t stop people from attributing it to him anyway). Not content to simply sit back with a two-camera setup and see what comes up if he lets his actors improvise all their lines,
Mottola’s work borrows the comedic sensibility of like-minded comedies but fine tunes it with greater narrative precision while at the same time striving for a greater emotional and intellectual range (this was especially evident in his personal project Adventureland, but was true even in the phallic-frenzied, Superbad). While the former was cheered by audiences for its no-holds-barred, laugh-a-minute look at what really concerns high school boys, the later was mixed with more melancholy and human drama and fewer laughs that weren’t organic to the characters, and some audiences expecting Superbad 2 weren’t sure how to react. I found this interview was very revealing on Mottola’s filmmaking style and influences, and I certaintly am looking very much forward to his collaboration with Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the upcoming “Paul”.
Previous / The 21 Best Films of the 21st Century / Next
Comments