This review originally appeared on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s “Roll Film” movie review site (http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=219_0_6_0). Each film was also reviewed by my CBF colleague, Greg Borzo, who focused more on the bike content.
THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
3 1/2 Stars
The 40 Year-Old Virgin begins as if the title character, played by Steve Carell, will be presented as your traditional movie nerd. We know he's a nerd because he collects action figures, decorates his apartment with 1930s Universal monster movie memorabilia and has a framed poster of the early eighties band, Asia, prominently displayed on his wall. There's one more clue. Andy does not drive; he rides a bike.
After a little over a year of reviewing bicycle films, the one constant I've observed is that Hollywood believes that normal people do not ride bikes. There are only four types of characters allowed to ride on the big screen (1) an athlete trying to win the big race, (2) someone who is poverty stricken and whose bicycle allows him or her to work, (3) a kid around the age of eleven, and (4) a nerd, geek, dweeb, etc. Only last month, we focused on Pee-wee Herman. Jason Schwartzman has played a bike geek twice, in Rushmore and I ♥ Huckabees. There is a pattern here.
Fortunately, Virgin quickly abandons all patterns and succeeds in what may be the most difficult type of film to do right—the raunchy comedy with a heart of gold. These are two qualities that cannot be easily combined. National Lampoon's Animal House set the gold standard for raunchy comedies, but would we be laughing so hard if the characters weren't aggressive, stupid and insane?
I'm here to tell you that The 40 Year-Old Virgin is consistently funny throughout. As for tastelessness, most of the best gags are fully unsuitable to describe in this family-friendly review site. (But you may want to put your popcorn down when the Lionel Richie song comes on because you'll be laughing so hard, you may spill it.)
Director Judd Apatow, understands a very basic rule about comedy that most filmmakers forget: When you set up expectations, do the opposite. Adam Sandler, for example, begins most of his movies with the premise that his character is an anti-social moron. He then proceeds to act that way for an hour and a half. Not funny. Virgin, on the other hand, fakes us into thinking that the title character will be some loser to be pitied, but then has Carell play up his likeability and resourcefulness.
That's only the first reversal. One would think that, given the nerd is the hero, his sex-obsessed coworkers would be portrayed as mouth-breathing Neanderthals. No, their efforts to get Andy some action are well-intentioned, despite the disastrous results. These efforts also provide most of the movie's laughs. Nor will Virgin follow the sexist lead of Porky's and portray women as one-dimensional sex objects. In fact, The 40 Year-Old Virgin is somewhat unique in that it seems to have no unsympathetic characters at all.
By the end of the film, the raunchy sex comedy will become a touching love story (thanks to the chemistry between Carell and his love interest, played smartly by Catherine Keener). Even the previously mocked bicycle will return for some heroic moments. Best of all, it earns its musical ending without ever losing its humor or edge.
THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
3 1/2 Stars
The 40 Year-Old Virgin begins as if the title character, played by Steve Carell, will be presented as your traditional movie nerd. We know he's a nerd because he collects action figures, decorates his apartment with 1930s Universal monster movie memorabilia and has a framed poster of the early eighties band, Asia, prominently displayed on his wall. There's one more clue. Andy does not drive; he rides a bike.
After a little over a year of reviewing bicycle films, the one constant I've observed is that Hollywood believes that normal people do not ride bikes. There are only four types of characters allowed to ride on the big screen (1) an athlete trying to win the big race, (2) someone who is poverty stricken and whose bicycle allows him or her to work, (3) a kid around the age of eleven, and (4) a nerd, geek, dweeb, etc. Only last month, we focused on Pee-wee Herman. Jason Schwartzman has played a bike geek twice, in Rushmore and I ♥ Huckabees. There is a pattern here.
Fortunately, Virgin quickly abandons all patterns and succeeds in what may be the most difficult type of film to do right—the raunchy comedy with a heart of gold. These are two qualities that cannot be easily combined. National Lampoon's Animal House set the gold standard for raunchy comedies, but would we be laughing so hard if the characters weren't aggressive, stupid and insane?
I'm here to tell you that The 40 Year-Old Virgin is consistently funny throughout. As for tastelessness, most of the best gags are fully unsuitable to describe in this family-friendly review site. (But you may want to put your popcorn down when the Lionel Richie song comes on because you'll be laughing so hard, you may spill it.)
Director Judd Apatow, understands a very basic rule about comedy that most filmmakers forget: When you set up expectations, do the opposite. Adam Sandler, for example, begins most of his movies with the premise that his character is an anti-social moron. He then proceeds to act that way for an hour and a half. Not funny. Virgin, on the other hand, fakes us into thinking that the title character will be some loser to be pitied, but then has Carell play up his likeability and resourcefulness.
That's only the first reversal. One would think that, given the nerd is the hero, his sex-obsessed coworkers would be portrayed as mouth-breathing Neanderthals. No, their efforts to get Andy some action are well-intentioned, despite the disastrous results. These efforts also provide most of the movie's laughs. Nor will Virgin follow the sexist lead of Porky's and portray women as one-dimensional sex objects. In fact, The 40 Year-Old Virgin is somewhat unique in that it seems to have no unsympathetic characters at all.
By the end of the film, the raunchy sex comedy will become a touching love story (thanks to the chemistry between Carell and his love interest, played smartly by Catherine Keener). Even the previously mocked bicycle will return for some heroic moments. Best of all, it earns its musical ending without ever losing its humor or edge.
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