comment #1

thevisceral says ...

I would've just said "Michael Cera sucks," but your way works too.

comment #2

nemo says ...

If he's good and lucky, maybe he'll turn into Jack Lemmon some day. Jack Lemmon was an unlikely leading man. It took him until he was 30 to become the Jack Lemmon of Mr Roberts, and until 35 to become the Jack Lemmon of The Apartment.

But he's going to have to stretch and try harder to become Jack Lemmon of The Apartment. Doesn't seem likely.

comment #3

Wrecktem says ...

I really miss Jack Lemmon.

comment #4

btwnproductions says ...

No matter--Jesse Eisenberg and a clutch of other ball-less bores are around to take his place as Hollywood's leading boy-man.

comment #5

joe banks says ...

Jack Lemmon had more Jack Lemmon in his pinky than Michael Cera will ever have in his scrawny little twee hipster mumblecore frame.

Could Cera even come close to pulling off what Lemmon did out of the gate with Ensign Pulver in "Mister Roberts"?

no.

comment #6

DeeZee says ...

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/current-movie-reviews/daybreakers-youth-revolt.php?page=2
I feel bad for Cera, 'cus he's one of the few young adult actors playing teens whom I can stand. But Vin Diesel-esque Alpha Males, Channing Tatum-esque Wiggers, and Shia-esque Pie boys are what sell in this current market. Anyone who comes off a little more well-rounded and "normal" is doomed to fail. But really, I blame that Arrested Development fan-base. They keep claiming that borefest was the best ever, but they don't want to support the cast when they actually try to branch out into more mainstream gigs, which is why Extract tanked last year, too.

Jeff: Paper Heart might've done better if they cast someone a little more attractive for the female lead. Yi looked like she was ten years older than Cera.
Really surprised Year One did so horribly, though, considering people were willing to sit though that Emmerich Jurassic B.C. movie. Not sure about how Scott Pilgrim will fare, given how "indie" the source material and director are, but Wright has enough of a fanbase to at least break even on the thing-assuming he didn't go over-budget up North, of course.

"Is there anyone in the film industry more famous for being a one-trick, one-attitude pony who sorta kinda doesn't like being famous?:"

Mo'Nique?

comment #7

DeeZee says ...

BTW, if it sounds like a sexist double-standard that I have a problem with the female lead coming off frumpy, while letting the male lead slide, it's because they seemed to have no effing chemistry together. [At least in the trailer.]

comment #8

googs says ...

If the Scott Pilgrim buzz is real (and i happen to think it is) i think all of you are in for a surprise. The character is not at all like his typical awkward self. Plus, it'll be a huge hit. mark my word that thing will explode.

comment #9

BaxterPeanut says ...

His last chance will be the AD movie. If that doesn't light a spark of interest then it's reallly OVER. And not a minute too soon. The definitive one trick pony who hasn't really shown any ability to branch much beyond dreary dork. Year One was not only the worst movie of 2009 (and rivals The Love Guru for worst comedy of the past few years) it was so much worse than whatever was number two it's ridiculous.

comment #10

Eloi Manning says ...

I have a feeling Scott Pilgrim was tank, and I say that as a big Edgar Wright fan. I think it's based on an irrational theory that any movie that releases so many online updates throughout its production is doomed to failure. I think Superman Returns really convinced me of this. I just have a feeling that it won't do well, and Cera's overexposure recently doesn't help.

That said, I generally like him in the right role. His worst to date (that I've seen) was Nick & Norah, and that's surely the basis of that chart above there. What a calculated, soulless piece of shit, designed for the Pitchfork crowd but ended up as sub-CW nonsense. That movie was gash.

Paper Heart was okay, but slight. I can't imagine it cost more than about fifteen dollars to produce though, so I doubt it made a real loss. It wasn't heavily marketed either.

Arrested Development is great, DeeZee. But TV and movies aren't sports - you don't "support" actors like you support a football team. If they're in a piece-of-shit movie I'm not going to see it, even if they were once in a great TV show.

comment #11

Eloi Manning says ...

"was tank"? Will tank.

comment #12

DarthCorleone says ...

It's sort of funny that you remark that Michael Cera needs a "doppelganger," when what I think makes Youth In Revolt work is that he in fact has one (in a much more literal sense than you used here). His Francois Dillinger alter ego was very amusing. Maybe I'm in the minority on that, but whatever.

comment #13

btwnproductions says ...

He's definitely edgier in YOUTH, not that I cared. I liked him in AD but can't see the show becoming a successful movie.

comment #14

Alvy Singer says ...

I like Michael Cera. Sure, he's a one-trick pony, but that's one more trick than the rest of the pretty-boy ponies running around in Twilight movies. Is he the next Sean Penn? No, of course not, but he's basically tapped into a weird, laconic, awkwardness with more success than you would expect. For better or for worse, he's created his own thing. Even though it is probably unsustainable, I admire that.

comment #15

cangefilmfest says ...

Michael Cera is better than the typical junk he's in. Still, it's sink or swim, I guess. George Clooney can do a 'Men Who Stare at Goats," and as long as an 'Up in the Air' is coming up soon he'll emerge unscathed. Cera's last 'Up in the Air' was 'Superbad" 2.5 years ago. Somebody with something decent please, please use this kid/man while you got him!

comment #16

Mark says ...

All successful comedians are two-trick ponies. Their exaggerated normal facade (Liar Liar; Old School; Big Daddy) and then their exaggerated idiot facade (Dumb and Dumber; Anchorman; Waterboy). Cera doesn't do idiots and that may be his fatal flaw. YIR was a nice little flick and in no way lacked a leading man.

comment #17

Circumvrent says ...

The movie is pretty good, and Cera comes off really well in interviews - he killed on Letterman last week. (When Dave asked him which one of his parents he looked like, he said, "Probably a mix of the two.") And for what it's worth, the audience I saw the movie with - a lot of high-school kids - really loved him.

I'd wait till Scott Pilgrim before calling him doomed.

comment #18

DavidF says ...

I admit I'm biased because a) I read the books and b) live in Toronto which, for a change, will play itself in a Hollywood movie - but I hold out very high hopes that Scott Pilgrim will kick ass.

Unlike "Nick and Norah" it's legitimately "indie" and "cool" and if they actually found a way to hit the thing's tone - slacker relationship comedy with riddiculous video game style fight sequences - it should be something to behold. Edgar Wright seems like the guy to do it and Cera is perfectly cast.

I agree he's generally been doing stuff a bit too close to the same persona but you only to have watch one AD episode to see how great his comedic timing is and I think it's a bit early to expect him to be a "reliable box office draw."

comment #19

Eloi Manning says ...

I think Cera's problem is just that he tried to be a leading man too soon. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Zach Galifinakis because he has a similar schtick and surely audiences will tire of him eventually, too. When you look at the truly successful comedy stars, they're usually the ones that can pass off as straight men too - Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, etc. Whereas the ones that rely on a specific persona all the time - Jack Black, Will Ferrell, etc. - are finding it difficult to keep audiences interested.

People like Cera, Rogen, Segal, etc. will all be fine in the long run. They'll have an HBO show before too long - like Jason Schwartzman and Danny McBride now - and they'll continue to make occasional leading roles and frequent supporting roles. They'll all be fine, they just might not be A-list.

comment #20

DeeZee says ...

Baxter: Year One? What about DB:E? Why does it keep getting excluded from these "worst of" lists? And the AD movie's gonna be the one which bombs, because there's no audience for that series, outside of dvd. It's like FOX failed to learn from the mistakes made by that Strangers with Candy cash-in. But now someone's going to rub Avatar in my face to prove me wrong...

Eloi: There is a fanbase for Pilgrim, too. Nut whether or not they're willing to corral the non-fans who are also ambivalent about Cera is the real question.

cange: I'd like him to be the lead in the development hell Evangelion myself, Yellow-face be damned. He's the only white guy I'd trust for that part. But we'll probably get Patterson for Shinji, if that thing ever takes off...

comment #21

DeeZee says ...

nut=now

comment #22

gradystiles says ...

DZ:

Extract tanked because it sucked and wasn't funny.

Re: Paper Heart: how could "they" (whoever "they" are...) have cast someone other than Yi? It's her movie! She wrote and produced it. It's about her, you know?

comment #23

DeeZee says ...

grady: Extract tanked, because no one watches Mike Judge's stuff, unless it's in cartoon form. The actual film, otoh, was great in a subtle way, which is why it didn't catch on with people expecting it to be another Office Space. And just because it's her movie doesn't mean that she's right for the part. Otherwise, you might as well argue that QT should play Waltz's character, too.

comment #24

gradystiles says ...

"Subtle" is one word that no one--even Mike Judge--would associate with Extract.

You're still not getting the point of Paper Heart/Yi, apparently, so it's not worth explaining in more detail.

comment #25

LexG says ...

"Year One" is nearly unwatchable.to begin with, then a repulsive Oliver Platt shows up as a mincing, hairy, shirtless gay man forcing Cera to oil him up in multiple scenes. It is possibly the least appealing stretch of any movie in recent history... and why does Oliver Platt get so much work, anyway? Why has there never been a great Wells rant about that guy? No charisma, annoying in EVERYTHING, looks ridiculous in a goatee, nobody in the world could be considered an "Oliver Platt fan," he's super fat... and yet makes a couple movies and shows every year, to the world's utter annoyance.

Speaking of annoying, Charlene Yi is the least appealing entity ever to ostensibly sport a vagina. Women comics = NOT funny, NEVER funny, EVER, no exception. Add an annoying series of tics and being unattractive? Why are we having to deal with this person?

comment #26

DeeZee says ...

Lex: What about Sarah Silverman? And yeah, grady doesn't seem to get that the concept for Paper Heart does not work with Yi in it, because the [male] hipster/indie audience wants someone remotely attractive to get it on with Cera.

comment #27

Dan Revill says ...

I'm with Darth Corleone. I didn't go in with high expectations for Youth in Revolt, but it was pretty damn good. I don't think I own anything that Cera's been in except Arrested Development, but I wouldn't be opposed to picking up Youth. Definitely his most enjoyable work (haven't seen Paper Heart (um, not interested) and Year One - sounds like I'm not missing out on anything).

comment #28

Gordon27 says ...

"But now someone's going to rub Avatar in my face to prove me wrong... "

Nah, you've already sufficiently proven yourself wrong, as you always tend to do when you write more than one sentence. I mean, calling the 'Strangers With Candy' movie a cash-in, comparing 'Year One' to '10,000 BC', calling 'Arrested Development' boring, saying that Vin Diesel is popular, saying that 'Extract' is "great" (or "subtle")... why would anybody need to add more to that?

"And yeah, grady doesn't seem to get that the concept for Paper Heart does not work with Yi in it"

No, you're the one who doesn't get grady's point, which is that the movie would not have existed at all without Yi. It wasn't as if the studio was looking to make that movie and said, "Get me that chick from that one scene in 'Knocked Up'." You can say she can't carry a movie, and that's fine; if I ever saw it, I'd probably agree with you. But you can't create a hypothetical situation where that movie would've been made without her and expect it to be credible.

comment #29

mpneeb says ...

I say the following, that as a HARDCORE comic book fan, I've never gotten nor cared for SCOTT PILGRIM. Not the worst thing out there, but the material doesn't live up to the hype. (though WHOEVER is responsible for the success [and it ain't the creator] deserves applause)
That said, I wouldn't write him off until the Scott Pilgrim hits and succeeds or fails. Of course, the graphic Jeff posted is probably how the SP movie will progress.

comment #30

DeeZee says ...

Gordon: "the movie would not have existed at all without Yi."

Sure it would have existed, but it'd be a remake of "Love: American Style". And his argument was that she should be in it, because she wrote it, even though you admit she's not someone who'd sell you on seeing it.
.

comment #31

Gordon27 says ...

He didn't say she should be in it because she wrote it, he said that there would be no movie if she weren't writing, producing, and starring in it. That's the only way it got made. It's baffling how you're confused by this incredibly basic concept.

comment #32

gradystiles says ...

Exactly, Gordon. I didn't realize it was hard to understand, but I guess I should have, given to whom I was responding.

comment #33

Rich S. says ...

Oddly enough, Cera reminds me a bit of Bob Uecker. Not the manic "JUST a bit outside" Uecker of Major League, but the quiet reactor who used to guest on Carson back in the day.

Cera is much funnier as a kind of straight man than he is as a lead. His comic timing when reacting to someone else's joke is impeccable.

If he's lucky, he'll end up in an ensemble sitcom like Taxi or Cheers, where he can play the central "normal" character while wackiness swirls around him. Kind of like Jason Bateman in AD.

comment #34

Strangeways says ...

1)Paper Heart was a tiny, tiny indie movie and not a Michael Cera vehicle. It was never meant to be anything else.
2)Only an idiot of the hugest magnitude would call "AD" boring...it might be many, many things, but it was NEVER boring...you either got it, or you didn't.
3)Jack Black continues to get work despite the fact he's a one-trick (I would actually say, "no trick" pony) and he was the headliner in Year Zero.
4)The buzz on "Pilgrim" has been strong.
5)The only interesting comics/comedians today ARE women...Fey, Pohler, Sedaris, etc.
6)Cera will have a long career...he may not headline, but if he wants it, he'll be around for a very long time.

comment #35

DeeZee says ...

Gordon: "He didn't say she should be in it because she wrote it,"

Um. what part of "how could "they" (whoever "they" are...) have cast someone other than Yi? It's her movie! " suggests that he didn't say she should be in it?

Strangeways: "1)Paper Heart was a tiny, tiny indie movie and not a Michael Cera vehicle."

Bullshit. They wouldn't cast him as the male lead if they weren't hoping to make him into a star with it.

"Only an idiot of the hugest magnitude would call "AD" boring...it might be many, many things, but it was NEVER boring...you either got it, or you didn't."

The only thing I got was that it was a W.A.S.P. sitcom in real time, which a few people embraced, because they thought it made them look hip for doing so.

comment #36

gradystiles says ...

DZ: Seriously, man, are you that thick-skulled? Have you even SEEN Paper Heart? It's a scripted/faux documentary that was essentially thrown together as a lark by Yi and some of her friends. It cost about 38 cents to make. No studio was involved, no money men were saying "You must cast Cera!," etc.

That was my point about your use of the word "they." That word implies that someone other than Yi and her fellow producers were making decisions on the movie, or that the movie was made at the behest of some massive studio or something.

You seem to have a fundamentally misunderstanding of how the movie came to be. As someone (perhaps Gordon? I'm too lazy to scroll back up) mentioned, the movie wouldn't exist without Yi. That's why she's in it.

(Keep in mind, I don't even LIKE the movie...More has now been written about it in this thread that in all the newspapers and websites to date, most likely...Ridiculous, and I don't know why I let myself get drawn into DZ's stupidity.)

comment #37

gradystiles says ...

fundamental, not fundamentally there...

comment #38

Benny Coleman says ...

One trick Pony? Look no further than Hugh Grant at the moment. You can tell he hates acting and that he knows that all he can do is the bumbling English buffoon. It seems to me he just wants to stay far away from the limelight now.

Never liked Micheal Cera, never understood his appeal from the start. I want funny not shy, awkward teen. He's the reason why "Scott Pilgrim versus the World" seems very luke warm for me. Anyone else and I'm right there, big Edgar Wright fan that I am.

comment #39

Gordon27 says ...

"what part of "how could "they" (whoever "they" are...) have cast someone other than Yi? It's her movie! " suggests that he didn't say she should be in it?"

Read every word, DZ. Every word. Before you summarize what somebody says, read every single word. Because you always distort things that you've read, even when you've *just* read it, even when you've actually quoted it in the post.

That is to say, I said: "He didn't say she should be in it because she wrote it". This was in direct response to you saying that he said she should be in it because she wrote it, which he has now definitely denied.

You're wonderful, dude, don't ever think about changing or trying to be intelligent or anything.

comment #40

UGG Boots says ...

Yeah, what Colin said plus Leno being sodomised by Satan for hawking Doritos.

comment #41

Strangeways says ...

Yes, I only love movies or tv shows because it's hip to do so...(huge amount of eye rolling going on at this point)...and not because they're "good" or because they make me laugh or cry or think.

I'm sure the producers of Paper Heart were delighted to get Cera for the film but that still doesn't mean it's a Michael Cera vehicle or that it's not anything but a tiny, independent film (if the budget hit 7 figures that would be a shock) with Michael Cera in a supporting role to the female lead...it's perceived "failure" (pretty sure it made a profit) wouldn't be noticed by anyone of any importance at a major studio. Little. Tiny. Indy. Films. Do. Not. Count. That's one of the reasons why Cruise did Magnolia...if it bombed or failed to make a profit, he knew it wouldn't be held against him.