The Michael Cera Problem

First there was Paper Heart, then Youth in Revolt (which, for the record, was disappointing mostly because there was no real romance going on), and now Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, so I think the citizens of moviedom finally have all the evidence we need to justly psychoanalyze the central figure in the imminent crisis known in the halls of power as the Michael Cera Problem, which, incidentally, is soon to be the Next Big Thing once the Looming Commercial Real Estate Crash has its way with us.

With that in mind, please enjoy the following fabulous entry to the research on this cutting-edge topic, from Stephanie Zacharek at Movieline:

I used to worry about Cera as an actor: He seemed like a talented kid in danger of being limited by his own acute boyishness. And I still think that maybe — maybe — smart filmmakers will figure out ways to bring out the best in him. But in Scott Pilgrim his wispy smile and quivery voice aren’t endearing; they’re an affront. In every frame, Scott appears to be begging us not just to love him (which would be bad enough), but to pity him.

I’m willing to suspend disbelief enough to believe that Cera’s capable of playing a character with a sex drive. In fact, Juno handled that aspect of his character astutely: We never saw him trying to get the girl; we simply knew that he had, and that fact alone suggested that maybe this sweet, gawky kid was really quite something in the sack. Sex is, after all, one of life’s great mysteries.

But Cera plays Scott Pilgrim as the kind of guy who thinks that getting an erection is an insult to a girl, damning evidence that he doesn’t just, as we used to say in the ’70s, “love her for her mind.” Men and women alike have plenty of sexual anxieties. But just as men — the good ones — will sometimes tell us women that we don’t need to be Victoria’s Secret models to be sexy, men should know that they don’t have to be Bruce Springsteen — or even, heaven forfend, Mick Jagger — for us to find them irresistible. But they do have to look as if they might possibly be interested in having sex, and that’s a bridge too far for Cera in Scott Pilgrim. So what if he passes the Herculean he-man test the story puts him through? He still has all the sexual charisma of an untied shoelace. And even a woman who likes the soft touch can’t do much with that.

(courtesy Movieline)

I couldn't have said it better myself--after all, without any degree of sex drive detectable by modern scientists, what is the point of getting the girl?

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Finish Him!

It is no secret that I have been pretty down on Michael Cera post-Arrested Development, with the notable exception of Superbad and the less-notable exception of his French alter-ego in the trailer for Youth in Revolt).

The problem, of course, is that he used to be funny, but is now merely running his shtick into the ground and it depresses me. He is hardly alone here--look what happened to Will Ferrell, Jack Black, and Ben Stiller. Owen Wilson seems to only make dog movies these days. Does the same fate await Zach Galifianakis? Let's hope not.



Anyway, after watching the recently-released trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World this weekend, several questions come to mind:

1. Why is Michael Cera's girlfriend so much larger than he is?
2. Why does she also seem much older than him?
3. Why does she find him remotely attractive?
4. Why is this movie a video game?
5. Was this video game directed by Diablo Cody or Jason Reitman?
6. Or has Edgar Wright managed to perfectly emulate that trying-too-hard, poor-timing, really-unfunny, cheesy, unrealistic-in-a-bad-way style those two hacks have made lucrative careers out of?
7. Will I watch this movie anyway?

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Should I Vomit Now or Later?

Judge Jury: "Welcome to this week's installment of Judge Jury...and Executioner!"

[Applause from studio audience bussed in from Skid Row after being promised a cookie and Kool-Aid]

Judge Jury: "Alright, let's get started on the case--The People v. Michael Cera. Michael Cera, young, impressionable comic talent extraordinaire, beloved veteran of the unfortunately-assassinated Arrested Development and coming-of-age supergem Superbad, how do you plead to the charge of Making People Who Like You Cringe Every Time They See Your Mug on a Movie Poster?"

Michael Cera: "Not guilty, Your Honor."

His Agent: "Your Honor, my client is clearly doing nothing more harmless than carefully building a solid, reputable career--and a sizable bank account--by playing the lovable dork everyone loves to root for, and who usually has a cutesy romance with some cutesy alternagirl. It works--he would be a sucker to portray a different character until it stops working."

Me: "Your Honor, may I first remind you of my brilliance and handsomeness before I proceed?"

Judge Jury: "I am well-aware and delighted to find myself in your presence, Lord Charlie."

Me: "Thank you. Now, before I proceed with my case, I would like to remind the court of past precedent--The People v. Will Ferrell, The People v. Ben Stiller, and The People v. Seth Rogen. While in these particular cases it is worth noting the bottomless egos of said defendants--combined with the rubber stamp Hollywood eagerly applies to the randomly-generated, unformed ideas hitmakers pitch to talentless, greedy studio executives, no matter how vile or useless--are to blame for the bad taste we all feel in our mouths whenever their names are mentioned, they are important to note because if we are not careful, Mr. Cera will no doubt soon suffer the same fate."

[Applause from studio audience]

His Agent: "Objection, Your Honor--hearsay."

Judge Jury: "Sustained. Be specific, Lord Charlie."

Me: "Your Honor, I present Exhibits A, B, and C:
A. Juno (2007)
B. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)
C. Paper Heart (2009)

For the sake of common decency, Your Honor, I have intentionally refrained from mentioning a certain Harold Ramis turd that never made so much as a splash in the toilet-bowl of today's moviegoers, yet whose billboards ceaselessly plague them to this day."

His Agent: "Objection, Your Honor--irrelevant."

Judge Jury: "Sustained--get to the point, Lord Charlie."

Me: "Very well: I submit that it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that the young, impressionable, Canadian Mr. Cera is being led down the path of irrelevance by a team of Hollywood pricks intent to use him up and spit him out after taking their 35 percent. The people of this fine country would prefer this did not happen and therefore wish to obtain custody for his own protection--and to ensure the oft-filibustered release of Arrested Development (the movie) as soon as possible."

Judge Jury: "I agree. The court rules in favor of the prosecution. Executioner--you may proceed."

Executioner: "GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!"

[Michael Cera's Agent's head is immediately lopped off by the Flying Guillotine]

Me: "OMG!!! I almost forgot, Your Honor--I might feel ill when I think about the movie, but I can't wait for the soundtrack to drop at my local ShitMart!!! LOL!!!! It's true!!!! So many quirky indie tunes to fall in love to!!!! Michael and his girlfriend--who was the co-writer, co-producer, co-composer, puppeteer, and lead actress in Paper Turd--wrote all the songs themselves!!! Awwwwwww!!! And it's only $19 on Amazon!!!"

Judge Jury: "Aye, well, burn me a CD when you get it and we'll see if such saccharine pleases the court while riding in the backseat on family vacations this summer..."

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