So as a perk of going to the almost alma mater of Judd Apatow, USC, my class was able to catch a screening of his latest comedy "This is 40" I say almost because he dropped out his junior year to live with Adam Sandler, boss move.
A little background on the film for those who don't already know - it is a followup to the characters first introduced in "Knocked Up"You remember Katherine Heigels sister played by Leslie Mann, and her husband, played by Paul Rudd. In Knocked Up they served as a sort-of reflection of Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigel. So as a spinoff, 40 follows Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a married couple in their 40s and all the fun stuff that comes with that. The film also stars Apatow's two daughters, Maude and Iris, who steal the show. Leslie is Judd's wife, in real life.
This is 40 is a great home movie.
I'll eat up all the shit Judd Apatow puts out, except for Girls. I hate "Girls". So I loved 40. Jason Segal is fucking hilarious, probably the funniest I've ever seen him. Apatow's daughters are great, and their obsession with "Lost"never gets old. The film itself looks great. It's warm, bright, and very comforting.
Even within the first hour, I'm hooked. But...I couldn't help but notice that there is no real conflict or plot. As in, nothing actually happens. There is no comedic premise, which is fine! But after two hours, you start to realize that you've just been watching a really well done home video. Premise refers to the "what if" factor in comedies. In "Knocked Up" for example, Apatow's premise is "What if...A one night stand led to a pregnancy?" In 40, all I could figure is "What if...You turned 40?" That was my ONLY question about the whole movie. Again, Apatow's latest film is 45 mins longer than it needs to be and I have a feeling he's making them long just because he can.
After seeing "This is 40" all I wanted to do was start a family and get married, so props to you Judd. I'm hoping the rate of successful marriages increases thanks to your film! Below is a clip that shows off how funny Segal was in this movie.
