An interesting blend of comedy and sincerity.

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2009)

It has been about four years since Judd Apatow burst onto the mainstream scene as a comedic director with funnier and more touching things to say than practically anyone else out there. He made his mark with The 40-Year Old Virgin, but this is a more ambitious and sensitive film that is really unlike any other comedy. Apatow's discovery, Seth Rogen, is given free reign here to show off all his comedic chops as Ben Stone, a lazy slacker whose life consists of partying with his roommates and working on a nude alert website for movies. Katherine Heigel, in her break-out role, is very sweet and likable as Allison, a career girl focused on going nowhere but to the top.
However, despite all that these two don't have in common, Apatow focuses more on what they do, and here they meet up at a club and realize that they both love to have a good time which is not limited to a one-night stand. Still, eight weeks later, Ben is shocked to hear from Allison and even more so when she tells him that she is pregnant and he is the father. From here on in, this is no longer you're typical comedy. Every scene with a funny line or situation is leveled with dialog that is serious and smart in nature. Watching this, it can be hard to understand why these people make some of the choices they do, but then you realize they are just like you.
This is not as funny as The 40-Year Old Virgin, which itself was more straightforward in its crude and tasteless comedy. Here, Apatow shows his growth as a writer and director. He still has the ability to cast flawlessly with Heigel perfect as Allison, Paul Rudd sensational as Pete and his own wife, Leslie Mann, as Pete's wife Debbie. The real surprise, though, is Seth Rogen. He has such great timing, but his acting chops come alive here and he is given the ability to show that he is not just an actor for comedy but that he can take on any role and put his personal twist on it. I watched this in preparation for Apatow's third film, Funny People, and I only hope that it is as funny and sincere as his previous two films have been.