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| The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
 
Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth BanksDirector: Judd Apatow Rating: R Category: Comedy  |
ALSO! Click here for our interview with co-star/co-producer Seth Rogen.
Steve Carell is one funny guy, and in two short years he has stolen the show from the likes of top comics Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show”), Jim Carrey (“Bruce Almighty”) and Will Ferrell (“Anchorman”). It’s about time that he’s been given the chance to shine as the star of his own movie, and in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” he’s brighter than ever. Following in the footsteps of the successful summer comedy romp “Wedding Crashers,” co-writer/director Judd Apatow proves once again that a raunchy, R-rated comedy can still reel in the mainstream audience. Apatow also proves that he can do it even better, and if you thought that “Wedding Crashers” was the funniest movie of the summer, then you haven’t seen “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
The film is crafted from the all-too-familiar coming-of-age tale, but much like 2002’s “About a Boy,” the main character is not an adolescent, but rather a middle-aged man who lives like one. In this case, Andy (Carell) is – as the title reveals – a 40-year-old virgin, a dorky and naïve stock manager at an electronics store who spends all of his money on comic books, video games and unopened collectibles. He does, however, live in an apartment on his own, which certainly helps to dispel the myth that all career nerds live at home with their mothers.
At first, the other guys at the store (comprised of Paul Rudd, Seth Rogan and Romany Malco) think he’s either gay or a serial killer, but after they find out about his little “secret,” they take Andy’s love life into their own hands and tutor him on his quest to become a bona fide sex-machine. Despite their many attempts (including a painfully hilarious body waxing) to transform Andy into an overnight Casanova, his sexual prowess is completely unaffected until he meets Trish (Catherine Keener, one of the hottest 40-something actresses in the business), a smoking hot single mother with a soft spot for Andy.
The script (co-written by Carell and Apatow) embraces both lowbrow gags and clever writing, so there’s always somebody laughing in the crowd, but at its core, the reason the film works as well as it does is because the audience can connect to the characters. When watching the tortured Carell react as his real chest hair is being ripped out by a giggling Asian woman, or when a promising date (Leslie Mann) throws up a strawberry daiquiri in his face, we feel his pain, and our laughs are then that much bigger. Not to mention the “know how I know you’re gay?” shtick between Rudd and Rogan, which is sure to establish a new trend among college men everywhere.
There was much debate prior to the release of the film as to whether Carell would be able to carry an entire movie on his own, and even though he does get a lending hand from the scene-stealing Rudd, the up-and-coming coming comic star does a great job with the material. Don’t expect a career of Jim Carrey proportions, but the next time you see Carell’s name at the top of the bill, you’ll have a better idea why it’s there. Know how I know you’re gay? Because you’re not rushing out to see “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
Double Your Pleasure Edition DVD Review:
After releasing such a phenomenal single-disc version last year, it wasn’t necessary for Universal to put out another DVD of the runaway hit so soon. Then again, I guess it’s to be expected considering Judd Apatow’s newest film, “Knocked Up,” opens in theaters this summer. The new two-disc edition has everything from the initial release – including the unrated cut of the film, an audio commentary with Apatow, Steve Carrell and cast, the multi-camera featurette on the infamous waxing scene, additional footage from the speed dating scene (“Date-A-Palooza”) – and much, much more.
All of the bonus material has been spread across both discs, with the commentary track and new (along with old) deleted scenes featured on disc one. The second disc contains the rest of the aforementioned extras, as well as the director’s production video diary, audition tapes from seven of the film’s supporting characters, raw footage from the poker, waxing and bathtub scenes, and an additional read through of the poke scene. Wrapping up the second disc are two interview sessions – “Reel Comedy Roundtable” and “Cinemax: Final Cut” – featuring the film’s director and stars as they discuss the making of the film and their knack for the improvisation. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough material here to justify replacing the initial release. Still, if you absolutely must, at least you’ll score a free ticket to “Knocked Up.”
~Jason Zingale
jzingale@bullz-eye.com