Adult World

I'm not familiar with Emma Roberts. But I thought she was quite effective here. I totally bought her rendition of a clueless college kid with lots of "feelings."

It was a tad depressing to see a depiction of another brainless kid with massive college loan debt and no knowledge of anything under the sun. Why do parents buy into that scam. At least here the parents try to point out the danger of her absurd and spoiled pursuit. But of course they coddled her and bankrolled it for years.

The other silly notion that liberal arts grads. carry around is that they were all meant to do something unique and special. Cusack's character has some of the best lines in the movie when he reminds her that not everyone is talented or destined for greatness.

Congratulations to the writers for also having the young male lead remind our girl that she was a worthless, lazy employee and an elitist. With the help of these good friends, she manages to learn something.

We later learn that the young male lead has his own hobbies and passions which this self-absorbed pixie never bothered to inquire about. But it was refreshing that she was a virgin and that the young man took time to really get to know her.

I also appreciate the Syracuse in Winter setting. Like I've said in other reviews, not every movie has to take place in some glamorous mainstream city. There are plenty of human stories taking shape in gray places that no one would otherwise think about if they weren't the setting in a movie.

There's not much memorable music here, which is fine, because it was a dialogue and character-driven half-comedy. I don't need Indie mood music for such a film.

There are no sexy scenes worth mentioning by the way. Roberts goes without makeup and our old mentor played by Cusack is refreshingly not a "perv."

There are always films that seem to define the youth of the decade. In the 1980s, you can make an argument for any of the "rat pack" movies but I remain the closest to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club (1985). In the 1990s, the hilarious and raunchy American Pie (1999) that bookended a great decade of dramatic and comedic cinema. Scott Coffey's newest endeavor Adult World starring the talented and adorable Emma Roberts is a touching and uproariously entertaining comedy about a recent college graduate Amy that believes she's destined to be the next great poet. When things don't go in her favor, Amy gets a job at an adult book store called "Adult World."

Written by Andy Cochran, who has written episodes for MTV's "Teen Wolf" and "Super Sweet 16: The Movie," the first-time movie screenwriter assembles an assortment of creative and unique characters with genuine deeds that feel credible and realistic. Director Coffey does a commendable job transporting the audience through the story , inserting varieties of colors, beats, and instances of emotional connection. It's one of the best films seen at the Tribeca Film Festival and could one of the crowd-pleasing films of the year upon release.

Emma Roberts, best known for her whimsical turns in films like Nancy Drew (2007) and Scream 4 (2011), charms the pants off the audience in her role of Amy. Roberts is head-over-heels hilarious and manages to capture the hearts of all. It's an interesting conundrum that Roberts creates for the viewer, as her piercing voice that should make you pull your hair out, manages to be her supernatural fairy dust that magnetizes our cinematic senses to her cutesy persona. It's a performance that will define her as a capable leading lady with a possible Golden Globe mention to prove the theory down the road in awards season. Roberts is completely lovable.

Roberts cannot take all the credit as the terrific cast that surrounds her are just as remarkable. As the awkward and misanthropic poet Rat Billings, John Cusack delivers one of his better works as of late. Playing extremely well off of Roberts, Cusack's character choices and mannerisms are simply comic genius. Taking a break from the creepy, serial killer that we have grown to love about Evan Peters on FX's "American Horror Story," he plays the sensitive and charming Alex with wonderful restrain. Completely stealing the show and delivering my favorite supporting turn of the year so far is Armando Riesco. Best known for his brief roles in Garden State (2004) and Che (2008), as the flamboyant and lovable Rubia, Riesco commands the screen and steals focus from every actor on set. It's a memorable and dedicating turn by an actor that was in need of a big break into the hearts of viewers. I believe he's found it.

Adult World is a must-see comedy. Heartwarming and beautifully tender, the only flaw the film suffers is being a smidge too long. One of the great things that the Tribeca Film Festival offers, Adult World is an absolute delight.

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This was just an adorable little independent film. Cusack gives his best Cusack-esque performance. Emma Roberts is also enchanting. Is the film perfect, or near? Not really, but there are some nice, actually very funny scenes sprinkled throughout. The idea is unique one. While is structure has been done, the coming of age straight out of college story, and also seems to be hot right now in most youth culture films. I believe that with some quirky, interesting scenes, the picture is very entertaining and very funny. I always encourage Emma Roberts to keep working because she really does have some talent and just needs to break out of the teen star typecast. Overall I enjoyed it and thought it was great for what it was.

It's a watchable film but reminds me of a past era where Kevin Smith was making originally naive-like movies.. but were cult and are still considered an indie-original nostalgic concept .. This one feels repetitive and more suited for a Beverly Hills 90210 season ..

ADULT WORLD is an odd whimsical comedy about Amy (Emma Roberts), a naive, sheltered,recent college graduate with an impractical degree in "Poetry" who yearns for publication and recognition but doesn't seem able to impress anybody anywhere. In desperation, she takes a low-paying job as a clerk in a sex store, which, though it serves as a symbolic backdrop for the story, isn't the real focus. This film is all about growing up, facing the world, and becoming, for better or worse, an "adult."

Mood-wise, ADULT WORLD reminds me a bit of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: There's a name for this type of humor, but I'm not sure what it is. I wasn't digging it at all for most of the first hour. As others have noted, the characters seem more like cheap caricatures, and Amy in particular is treated as a glib joke of a person. But the way life (and this film) seem to be constantly laughing in her face gave me compassion for her, and I'm sure others will have the same reaction. We've all been there, haven't we?

For most of its length, ADULT WORLD's storyline seems as unfocused as its character development. Yet, again, it meanders its way to a conclusion that is both meaningful and touching, and again, therein lies its magic.

An interesting assortment of supporting characters, most of whom initially seem as cardboard as Amy herself but blossom as the film goes. Particularly noteworthy are John Cusack as reclusive a-hole writer Rat Billings and Evan Peters as nice normal guy coworker Alex. Austerely beautiful cinematography of the smaller town upstate New York setting. Good thematic soundtrack.