It has been a long time since I last saw Michael Cera make an appearance. An actor that we all know of from many great comedies from the earlier 2000s entering the 2010s. It seems he disappeared a little alongside much of the crowd he acted with, as the comedy genre sort of died and never really recovered. It's odd to look back at their success and then see the crash that ensued. There doesn't seem to be a cause for any of it, a disappearance in these actors that seems to have entered with age, as each of them pursued careers outside of acting and more behind the camera instead. I think we all miss them to some degree. That the comedy genre has a bit of a gap missing as a result. I was never a huge fan of them all, but it's clear that they had a massive cultural impact with entries like Superbad, Juno, and others. To make a sudden appearance again in indie films sort of makes sense. Something light that breaks the ice. Containing much of their weirdness still.
I quite like this weirder indie films, actually. In a way I prefer them given they're shorter in their runtimes. More relaxed in their narratives, while still being more meaningful. They certainly have a much different feeling to the average blockbuster title. There's the feeling of maturity that comes with them, as these types of actors that definitely had their heights, fall into a different mindset and set of interests with age. Pursuing more real stories, still very much enjoying having fun, but with a stronger interest in telling stories on the more human areas of life, situations we all feel and experience in one way or another. As mentioned, there's still that oddity that we have grown to recognise from actors like and close to Michael Cera. And to be honest, I had no idea what to expect from this film. I haven't been watching much lately and haven't really had the time to be able to. I stumbled across it online and decided to check it out, purely because of Michael Cera's appearance in it. Curious as to what this might be like, uncertain as to whether it could actually be anything decent. Particularly given the writer's strike went on for such a long period of time, though it seems this production did go unaffected.
This will contain some spoilers, but I doubt many people are checking this film out anyway. But here's a warning just in case.
The Adults
The Adults takes a more indie look at the idea of grief, and how three different individuals going into adulthood have changed and dealt with the pain felt. After losing their mother, these siblings drift apart, each going into different directions. With Eric, played by Michael Cera, returning home for a few days, he's initially distant, wanting the trip to be over pretty much immediately. Ignoring family and blatantly lying to them in order to get out of having to see them. Instead, Eric tries to return to an old friend and pursue their old poker nights. It's a pretty straightforward film to begin with, introducing a character that seems in constant motion, unprepared to deal with family and come to terms with the past. The character of Eric seems to isolate in order to get by, whereas his sisters have two different methods of dealing with things, in their own ways. One is lost, dropping out of college and not really with any direction or inspiration, lacking the parental guidance that is needed to push them forward. The other has lost their way, no longer remembering the things they enjoyed and losing their personality as a result of the depression.
It was pretty interesting seeing these three characters and how each of them had dealt with loss, while never really coming to terms with it. A look into how different people are impacted in life by hardships, and how those hardships may impact them going forward in critical stages of development. For teenagers, such a loss would inevitably impact them. Incapable of advancing or at least struggling to do so, now having to figure things out on their own. For an indie film, it doesn't really shove this idea into your face, and instead uses simplicity to convey it. The characters being relatively thin, with little more to them than these traits they have unfortunately obtained. I think it introduced the characters well through this manner, and then the inevitable weirdness comes later. As time goes on, we see them starting to engage with each other again, remembering that family connection they hold. And the importance of it as a manner of growth and acceptance in the grief. Looking back at everything, to no surprise, as adults.
In terms of cinematography, The Adults is a film that doesn't really try to be creative. The perspectives are generally simple. Here and there the camera will be at a unique angle, but much of it is still. Usually observational, still as the character may interact with the surroundings. It's usually quiet, gentle, and shows the sadness that is felt within the characters even if they don't display it directly. I think it was quite effective still, and by no means was the simplicity a flaw in the film. Just, I guess, your typical indie flick style. Nothing too great, nothing bad. Enough to tell the story and do what was necessary. And this works well with a story that is slow, sad, and doesn't need to say a whole lot beyond the brief interactions the characters have as they open up. And the generally flat, odd performances were something that added to the film. That awkwardness that sort of comes with loss and hardships. The strange style of humour that develops with a lack of good social interactions and poor mental health. Typical Michael Cera stuff, really.
If you like indie films, and maybe the now older Michael Cera, this might be a film for you. Something you'll probably know what to expect from as an indie film. It won't really surprise you, nor is it an amazing film. It has plenty of flaws, but in this era of indie films and with the strike just ending, it's nice to see something small and unique. An escape from the typical blockbuster or streaming service big budget stuff. For that reason, I can recommend it to those who like short, simple films that say a little something. With a small budget and tight cast, but an engaging story nonetheless.
