Ahoy, squirts! Quint here again, this time with a look at the Steve Carell vehicle THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN.
You don't need a plot synopsis, you don't need an in-depth critique of the shot selection and most of all you don't need me to list off my favorite gags, thus stripping your joy in seeing the pros do it up on the screen. The film is called THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and that's exactly what you get.
All I can tell you is that it is funny. Not just funny, but Fucking Funny. The time flew by in the theater. I didn't feel it drag once, thanks to a great cast working a great concept that the script somehow keeps from going stale after 5 minutes.
Steve Carell - The titular VIRGIN and boy does he play it up. I think I still prefer "Brick" to "Andy," but they're both really great characters. Kinda like saying you prefer Indiana Jones to Allie Fox or vice versa. Andy is immediately likable and of course it's easy to relate to a cat that has toys and movie busts up all around his apartment. At least for me. From where I'm sitting I can see a couple LOTR statues, a Darth Vader Gentle Giant mini-bust, Gary Oldman mini-bust Comic-Con Exclusive Sirius Black, an honest to god Robert Shaw as Quint full sized bust, an Agent Smith Gentle Giant Mini-bust, a giant Balrog head (this is actually really damn cool... it's a candle-holder and the candle is placed behind the head that kinda lights up), a couple ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW toys, the McFarlane Alien Queen, Galactus and a few STAR WARS UNLEASHED figures. And this is the living room.
So, as you can see, I had no trouble relating to the 40 Year-Old Virgin. Keep yer traps closed down there. I can hear the jokes already... your wicked little fingers are itching to take a shot at the comment, I know it. Oh well, what else is new, eh?
But yeah, Carell carries the film effortlessly. He's great, but the film wouldn't have worked if his costars were lamey mclamealots. Thankfully, they're just as funny (and in one particular case even funnier) than Carell.
Romany Malco - This is my personal favorite character from the movie. I praise the writers and Malco for making this character work so well. By most accounts this should have been the trademarked "Funny Black Guy" role, but Malco is so alive, his timing so note perfect that the role goes beyond that cliche. It's not Shakespeare... he's got a great many pussy and dick jokes, but he rocks hard in this flick.
Paul Rudd - Shows some comedic range (not that he needed to prove himself, mind you) here by taking on a character that is radically different from ANCHORMAN's Brian Fantana. His character has to work around the TVs and for anyone who has ever had to work in an electronics store, video store, movie theater... his introductory scene will make you cheer. The confrontation with his boss about the trash she always plays... it's a confrontation that every one of us who has had to listen to the same stupid shit over and over and over again wanted to have with the higher ups.
Seth Rogan - I just found out this guy is a year younger than me and that is honestly fucking with my head. He has a deep, gruff voice, he's got enough hair on his face and head to make Harry go, "Dude, you need a shave..." He should not be 23 years old. Young or old, he's really funny, the last spoke that makes the core group of this film roll smoothly from plot point to plot point, gag to gag. He's a great compliment to the group.
I don't know what else to say other than I am very happy with this film. It's not perfect (I really didn't care for the "You know... I learned something today" bit at the end), but it's a fuckin' funny movie with boobs, erections and foul language enough to make Bill Cosby's head do a 180. It works and it's filled with some hotties of various levels. Catherine Keener is beautiful in a mature kind of way and then you have someone like Elizabeth Banks (Mrs. Betty Brant herself) being young hottie blonde supreme. Hot chicks, dick jokes and a gang of some of the most talented funny men in the business working at their peak... what more can you want?
You know... I think I may have liked that movie... you think?
Alright, that's it from me. I'm wiped out. Talk to you folks later!
-Quint
