Sweet and Gross at the same time

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2007)

Wow. I didn't know if it'd be possible to mix this much raunchiness and sweetness together in the same movie and have it turn out good. This film somehow manages it.
I suppose the real criticism I have with the film is that it does go on too long. Granted, I was watching the Unrated Edition, which adds on 17 more minutes of footage; I think at least 20 minutes needed to go, because I was getting a little tired towards the end of the film.
But that didn't stop me from liking it. The characters are all very well drawn, have their own foibles and the side characters, as simple as they are, are not entirely stock. The film focuses on an awkward shy virgin, Andy, played by Steve Carrell. What I like about Andy's characterization is that he's not an "empty" character, but is surprisingly sociable for being a bit of a shut-in--this is a nerd with depth.
Anyway, I don't need to explain the premise to you, but some of the situations that Andy is put in by his friends or by his own bumbling are hilarious and sometimes they're incredibly disgusting. At the same time, there's a surprising amount of pathos put into even some of the gross-out scenes. The directing isn't exactly brisk, but it keeps the mood and sets the tone of the film well. This isn't a dying-of-laughter comedy, but it had me smiling inside, which being grossed out on the outside, which doesn't happen frequently.
Some of the jokes don't work so well, including the improvised "You're gay because..." series that permeate the latter half of the film. Still, the funny is more hit than miss and I really like how the film has something good to say about the pressure to have sex. And then there's the non-sequitar ending--but you'll have to watch it to know what I'm talking about. A solid comedy, but you might consider finding the theatrical version to keep the pace up. 8/10.