Wonderfully funny surprise

Rating: 9/10 (24 August 2005)

I won tickets to an advanced screening of The 40 Year-Old Virgin and couldn't have been more horrified when I was told the name of this movie. I recall trying to give my tickets away saying "There is no way I'm seeing this movie!!' I'm so very glad I decided to go. I've not laughed this hard at a film in too long to remember. I loved the film so much I decided to see it again when it opened with a group of girlfriends. That's right - I'm one of the women who came to see this movie in droves. The film is raunchy and it makes no apologies for it - but it also is a very sweet film. I cared about these characters, which is not what I was expecting.
If you are put off by large amounts of profanity and frank discussions of sex you may find yourself squirming in your seat. There were a few moments I found uncomfortable but given the movie's title what else could you expect? It is funny that the lead character seemed to echo some of my own thoughts when the raunch got to be a bit too much.
I've heard some complaints about the movie's length. It is very near two hours and I did find myself checking my watch about 10 minutes before it was over. I can understand - it is the first starring role for Steve Carell, his first film to co-write along with first-time director Judd Apatow. They were just having too much fun to stop! I'm trying to think of any scene that could have been cut to make it just a bit shorter and the thing is I can't think of one. It all just works so well together.
Initially I was a bit turned off by the ending. No spoilers, but it just seemed to veer off so wildly that it made no sense. Upon seeing it the second time I realized that it made no sense and yet it made perfect sense. How else could it end? Go see this film with an open mind and you will not be disappointed. In fact, you will want to see it again as soon as possible.