Why do people attempt metaphor when they clearly don't understand it! A so-so plot ruined by bad acting and direction. A movie about poetry, lacks so much of it. The director needs to educate himself about camera, and the editor needs to educate himself about cuts to be able to say anything. The over usage of hand-held cameras, is just annoying and wrong. When one cuts directly to a hand-held camera's footage, it immediately implies that it is a characters perspective. Which the reading in Rat's class scene, clearly isn't. Why keep Sylvia Plath poster in the same shot as when the audience and the character itself is calling herself a "whore". If the poster was placed much higher, with a wide-angle shot, it would have made some sense, here in the way it's done in the movie is plain ridiculous. As far as the movie's premise is concerned where the character is established to be toying with the idea of suicide has no impact whatsoever. As a result there is no curiosity built to learn more about the character by the audience ... Hence the premise gravely defeats its purpose. The only thing that manages to keep the film somewhat afloat is John Cusack's acting. All and all, the makers of the movie may have an appreciation for poetry in general, but clearly lack the knowledge of cinema vocabulary.

This mildly amusing film is most notable for its almost-obsessive focus on the music of Dan Boeckner's third music project - the Handsome Furs.As an acquaintance of everyone's favourite Canuck art-punk (familiarity making the suspension of disbelief a tad difficult. Even Emma Roberts' manic performance did not help here - we watch this film to see attractive movie stars look adorable, not for convincing acting of notable depth), I was surprised to hear his singing in the opening scene. And then I was delighted to hear song snippet after song snippet of his amazingly expressive vocal prowess. For this viewer, the soundtrack was the standout feature, despite the fact that music lyrics and film storyline relate only in the most general of interpretations. I appreciate the director's commitment to this incredible band. No make-art-by-committee or producers inflicting their own tastes here. It is always refreshing to find a new example of auteur film making. I don't know if I enjoyed this more than the terse elegance of the Furs' debut video for Dumb Animals, directed by Panos Cosmatos ("Beyond the Black Rainbow"), but at any rate, it is hard to imagine a longer music video for this great-but-now-defunct band.

I thought this movie was going to be bad. Like the other review on this movie i too was kept watching. I love Emma Roberts so that could be the reason why but i also think i was rooting for her to succeed in making her dream come true. The back and forth between her and Cusack was entertaining. Emma Roberts does a great job at inspiring you to strive for success in whatever it is that you want to do in life. There were a few scenes that made me laugh. Its worth watching to see if it suits your taste in movies. You will be surprised to find that you are able to watch it all the way through. Emma Roberts pretty face helped to keep watching too. She is a beautiful and talented actress.

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.