Dir: Judd Apatow. Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen.
In a year which has promised much for comedy, but not delivered with the likes of Meet The Fockers, Harold and Kumar Get The Munchies and The Wedding Crashers, I'd high hopes that The 40 Year Old Virgin would end the US comedy drought. It's star, Steve Carrol, was one of the best things about the outstanding Anchorman, and conceptually it revolves around an idea that has a lot of comic potential to it.
Alas it's yet another flawed affair. There's a lot to like about The 40 Year Old Virgin, but a fair amount to be annoyed with too - most annoyingly it's lack of innovation. Steve Carrol makes for such an amiable and likable lead that you'll be prepared to forgive some of the weaker
It's a sex comedy, but one which is unsurprisingly restrained given that thee central character, Carrol plays, yes, you guessed it, is a forty year old virgin. When his work colleagues discover this, they take him under their wing, and do their best to get him laid as quickly as possible. He's reluctant at first, but eventually falls for a woman - but they then decide to go twenty dates before consummating their relationship.
As mentioned, Carrol makes for a great lead, and Catherine Keener provides a strong independent romantic counterpoint to his nerdy and weak willed geek. But two great performances do not make a great film, and that's all there is. Carrol's three friends are borderline sociopaths, who annoy too often during the film, if they'd been better written it could have been far better. But the main problem TFYOV has is that it adheres to too many stock rom-com cliches. The two leads do get together, split up, and then get back together during the film. Lots of predictably embarrassing things happen to the lead character whilst he's trying to get his end away. And yes, all of his friends find someone by the end as well.
Oddly, the ending is truly superb, a real bolt from the blue, and it's just a shame that the rest of the film wasn't as inspired. It's certainly not in same the league as Dodgeball or Anchorman, it's mid-table Championship material, enjoyable, yes, but not something you'll ever have the urge to own on dvd. Even if it is reduced in the sales to £2.99.
Alex Finch.
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