I Used To Go Here is a kind of sweet and cynical mix of a mature comedy a bit of a goof college comedy. Plus a healthy dash of Charlize Thereon’s (much more angry and cynical) movie Young Adult. It’s also surprisingly produced by The Lonely Island, moving into a more mature frame of comedy (with a cheeky production label: Lonely Island Classics).

The film is about an author (played by Gillian Jacobs) who has just published her first novel… which isn’t selling well and her book tour has been cancelled. But she gets a sudden invitation to return to her alma mater by her favorite professor (played by Jemaine Clement). In her mid-thirties, she finds that she very much enjoys returning to her old stomping grounds… though maybe she shouldn’t quite so much.

This is definitely a more wizened comedy than I expected from the goofballs at the Lonely Island and I respect them for pulling it off. It has a definite feeling of being a mature, knowing, subtle comedy yet one that’s set in the daze of college life. So it has its cake and eats it too… while telling a story about a thirty-something dealing with possible failure and a brush with local girl makes good minor (very minor) stardom. I really enjoyed Jacobs’ sunny personality and the shades of grey she gave it.

This is a good, funny movie that has more character depth than I expected. It’s a little slow at times and it does take its time, but that’s largely a function of telling a story about a character and not just a series of events. And if you at all liked Young Adult, it’s certainly playing in the same pool but on opposite sides. They make a good companion for each other.

Score: 77