A sort-of sequel to ‘Knocked
Up’ (2007), ‘This is 40’ follows
the wonderfully odd and entertaining lives of Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul
Rudd) as the couple hit their forties in the same week. Along with their
two children, the couple struggle to enjoy their middle age, keep the passion
in their relationship, control their children and balance their finances.
Co-produced, written and directed by Judd Apatow, director of ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ (2008) and ‘The Five Year Engagement’ (2012), ‘This is 40’ is a clean-cut comedy with
all the ingredients for potential a laugh-out-loud treat. It also stars the
likes of Jason Segal, Megan Foxx and Melissa McCartney in more minor roles.
Frank and funny, this film sets off to a sharp start and
is another notch on Judd’s comedic
belt- which he has pretty much been single-handedly evolving over the past
decade. The protagonist couple appear incredibly mis-matched and much of the
plot consists of the pair bickering, avoiding honesty and denying that the
years are flying by. While Debbie lies about her age, Pete appears to wish he
was younger and more successful in his job as a music promoter for a record
label. Their marriage is realistically rocky, which, accurate as it may be,
becomes incredibly repetitive as the film unfolds. They also keep secrets from
one another and both feel they’re stuck with each other because of their
technology-obsessed children.
 |
| The theatrical poster for 'This is 40' |
In terms of storyline, well there isn't one. Aside from
their troubled marriage, there are two sticky situations Pete and Debbie find
themselves in. Yet aside from those, the storyline is incredibly mediocre. As
for individual scenes, some drag on for so long that they fail to be funny, particularly
the opening scene which sees the couple
having sex in the shower which develops into an argument because Pete took
Viagra before propositioning his wife. Despite that, the majority of characters
are well developed, if a little stereotypical (particularly Debbie, who is a
list-making, obsessive control-freak) and Judd
Apatow’s signature component of embarrassment of characters for comic
effect runs throughout the movie.
 |
| A family affair: The main cast of the film |
Given the state of the world’s economy currently, it’s got to be difficult to watch a perfectly toned, white-teethed, glamorous
blonde, wonderfully decorated, large home and cosy LA-influenced lifestyle be
the backdrop for a rough-patch in characters’ lives. As well as Leslie Mann being Apatow’s real-life wife, it was doubly-brave of the director to
employ their daughters to star in the film as Debbie and Pete’s children. They
appear comfortable on screen and have clearly picked up a tip or two from their
parents.
Paul
Rudd’s performance is on-point and his abilities carry the film.
His comedic timing and delivery is instinctive, so it’s no surprise he’s become
a signature actor of the comedy flicks. Also, most of the portrayals of
pettiness in relationships are acted incredibly accurately and ‘This is 40’ is also unusually padded
out for a comedy being almost 2 and a half hours long, especially given its
lack of a well-driven plot. Time Out
even suggested there be a new 35-rating created for Apatow’s film, as they tend to scare couples who've yet to reach
the age of his protagonists!
There’s something very chaotic and current about ‘This is 40’; it’s a decent example of
reality cinema given his genuine representation of typical family life. But
this is both a blessing and a downfall as many of the petty arguments depicted
are somewhat lacklustre for film. It may
be warm and whimsical but it fails to provide the uplift that audiences have
come to expect from comedies. The devil is truly in the detail in film and ‘This is 40’ simply doesn't supply
enough.
2/5
Watch the official trailer for 'This is 40' here:
No comments:
Post a Comment