Brandon Judell
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
By Brandon Judell
When not being buoyantly funny, Judd Apatow’s 40-Year-Old Virgin is
hopelessly sophomoric, repetitious, and dreary.
The hero here is a hard-working, action-doll-collecting virgin, Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell), who daily rides to his place of business, an electronic store, on a bicycle. The man’s not impotent, we quickly learn, or undersized because in the opening shot we see him sporting an extremely large morning hard-on, for lack of better words.
One night, while playing poker with his pals from work, Andy’s social condition is exposed. Soon everyone wants to cure the lad’s curious state of crotch atrophy.
The problem is that these three gents, who want to serve as Andy’s instructors, are all emotionally ten-years-olds. Consequently, their advice, such as pick up drunk girls in bars and hope they don’t throw up on your face, seems to be of limited value. Also, their most used word is “pussy.” Their most popular phrase has something to do with not putting the “pussy on a pedestal.” We’re not talking about felines here.
After hearing “pussy” for the thirtieth time, you start wondering if anyone in Hollywood has watched a screwball comedy such as Bringing up Baby. Where is the wit? The farce? The clever slapstick?
Underneath all this idiotic crap, inconsistent characterizations, and plot points that are never developed, there is actually a warm, moving story where Andy does find true love and does get deflowered by Catherine Keener. Sadly, love alone is no longer big box office. Well, maybe then for the sequel the plot can revolve around a sexually dysfunctional penguin.
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco
Copyright © Brandon Judell 2005
 |
| museums | recordings | coupons | publications | classified |