Cera, Culkin and Gevinson are in beautiful sync in ‘This Is Our Youth’
9 / 10
Culkin and Cera are the indispensable yin and yang of this funny, touching production...Lonergan's portrait of young adults fumbling for purpose has lost some of its edge -- or maybe it was never that edgy to begin with. Yet under the sharp direction of Anna D. Shapiro ('August: Osage County') the actors are so in sync with the material and with each other that they lift up the show. Cera, in particular, is terrific at making Warren...more than a nerdy loser. Instead, the character comes across as smart but insecure, well-meaning but lost...Gevinson has only limited acting experience, but she's blessed with genuine presence...That we end up caring so much for her -- and Warren, and Dennis -- is why this show works so well. We just want to know the kids are all right.
