(Spoils to be had ahead)

I was expecting funny. With everyone involved it had to be funny, but when when Seth and Evan have their last moment across the escalator, it hit me like the final shot of The Graduate. "Holy shit," I thought, "this isn't just a funny movie, this is a great movie!"

Not that I expect it to be hailed as such come Oscar season, but Superbad might end up being the best film of the year.

Superbad is my Dazed And Confused. That's a film that I never got in highschool cause I had no connection to it. That wasn't my life in highschool. I didn't even really get it in college. It wasn't until I graduated that I actually started to enjoy it. Superbad on the other hand, instantly clicked with me, the profanity laden dialogue, the atmosphere, the fear of losing your friends when you leave highschool or leave college, that hit home.

"Bromance" is the hip term to toss around for this type of film, but I feel like this transcended the Will Farrell bromance genre. Behind the overt homo eroticism there was a heartbreaking sincerity. A barrage of dick jokes to mask the honest fear and drama between two friends facing the inevitable separation. And the dawning on them that if they ever want anything to do with girls, it will mean spending less time with each other. I felt like there was so much in this film that I'm not used to seeing in a movie.

A lot of the credit goes to Jonah Hill. His character had the most difficult balancing act, the most over the top gags and physical humor with the most important dramatic beats. It's the only way his character could have worked, those moments of insecurity between being bled on and hit by cars.

Michael Cera's character didn't quite get the same dramatic range to play as he was supposed to be the straight man, but I can't get enough of his twitchy physical humor and passive aggressive deliveries.

I think I wrote so much in my Pushing Daisies reviews I'm tired of typing. Both Daisies and Superbad were really inspiring from a writing standpoint. That's when I know a movie crossed the great line for me, when it gives me a kick in the ass towards my own writing.

I can't wait to see if Rogen, Goldberg and Apatow can bring the same over-the-top-but-honest style to their stoner action film Pineapple Express next year.

Labels: critiqua