Based on the “Scott Pilgrim” comic-book series, the film follows the exploits of 23 year old Scott (Cera), who slaps the bass for his band Sex Bob-omb. Fortunately for Scott, he literally meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Winstead). Unfortunately, as soon as things with Ramona look to become quite promising, each of her seven evil ex-boyfriends start to appear one-by-one to fight our hero. Scott must battle skateboarders, vegan rock stars and identical twins should he choose to stay with this girl who uses his dreamscape as a superhighway.

Perhaps I am a grumpy old generation X’er, but I can’t say that I got much out of the dorky, effeminate Gen-Y wish-fulfillment comic-book literature. However, I am sure the appropriate fan-base will love the on-screen adaptation of Scott Pilgrim and his wacky little adventures, as trite as they may be!

Ben Stiller is Roger Greenberg, a man just trying to do nothing with his life. Coming from New York to Los Angeles to look after his brother’s family house while they go on holidays, Greenberg settles into a life of nothing and nonchalance. Greenberg starts up an awkward relationship with Florence (Gerwig), his brother’s assistant/nanny, but his subtle social problems and hints of mental illness put a dent in an otherwise easy courtship. Throwing into the mix an ex-band mate from his earlier years, Ivan (Ifans), Greenberg follows an existence much more complicated than Roger had hoped to have while house-sitting.

From the writer-director of Margot at the Wedding and co-writer of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Noah Baumbach brings his dry, quirky and subtle humour to the screen again with this portrait of a man over a few weeks. Unsure of what he’s doing with his life, we all can relate to some of the traits we see in Roger Greenberg and both empathise and pity the man he is, and could have been. We’ve all met a man like Greenberg, and whilst the movie doesn’t satisfy that nagging need to laugh out loud at some mindless entertainment, Greenberg does present a rather odd man and his funny quirks.