Starring Steve Carell, the movie follows our main protagonist Andy, who is a virgin and forty. His co-workers, after discovering Andy's secret, make it their duty for Andy to finally lose his virginity. This already amusing plot line is filled with jokes ranging from sex to race. And although at surface level it may seem to just be another romantic comedy, I was delightfully surprised at how many of the jokes were actually really clever and continue to make me laugh when I re-watch them.
So let's start with that: the jokes. There are so many types of humor in this movie. Of course there are plenty of sex jokes (look at the title of the movie) and, like I said before, things such as race and masculinity. But what makes these jokes so unique is what unites them. No matter what the character is talking about, writers Steve Carell and Judd Apatow insert this underlying question of "what is life about?". Is it to fall in love? Is it to follow your dreams? Is it to finally lose your virginity? No matter your own reason, the film involved this question in its story and humor. For Andy, he hadn't really asked himself this question, which is why is the beginning of the film he is a lonely 40 year-old who works at the back of a tech company. It's only until he finds people who give him a reason to go out and find life.
And I think this is what makes this movie so funny. It's not the words of the joke, but the fact that there is always this sense of realism in all of its humor. It gives the movie something that is genuine, which is pretty rare in contemporary romantic comedies. This genuineness connects the audience, pulling the audience further into the world of the film which makes them laugh even harder.
I would also like to talk about the casting of this film. The casting directors Allison Jones and Marla Garlin, whose resume include Freaks and Geeks and The Office, nailed choosing the right actors for these characters. Paul Rudd plays a hopeless romantic who has been chasing the same girl for two years, a character trope Rudd has found himself playing in films like Wet Hot American Summer. Seth Rogan plays a level headed dude, who's advice includes dating drunks and just asking questions to get women. And, of course, Steve Carell playing Andy. Carell does an amazing job finding the comedic moments in the film while keeping the elements of it honest.
In all of the elements of the film, there is one man which connects them all: Steve Carell. His role in the film extended beyond being an actor, also being a writer an executive producer for the film. In interviews about the film, Carell would sometimes talk about how much influence he had in the jokes, his proudest joke being the ending of the film. The other writers of the film seemed to have no idea how to end the film, and had asked Carell his thoughts on it. What he came up with became one of the funniest, original endings to a comedy. It somehow is able to encompass the main question this film asks, while having audiences erupt in laughter. It shows Steve Carell's sense of comedy and how clever he can be in front of and behind the camera.
This is a great comedy. It's a film that will make you laugh at the absurdity of real life as well as the absurdity of its world. It is able to manipulate character tropes and an already overused genre into something unique and personal to the film. It shows off the genius of the writers and how they are able to balance honesty and ridiculousness to create comedy.
Overall I have to give this film a GOOD/GOOD rating. It has a humor that is both clever and absurd and is brilliantly written. If you still have your "The 40-Year-Old-Virgin"ity, I definitely suggest watching this film.
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