Carell and Keener make this work

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2006)

I have been somewhat sceptical about the almost unanimously good reviews I read, review by professional film critics who are understandably more demanding than an average IMDb user. That scepticism continued through the first half of the movie, but then it became gradually clear why these critics liked this movie. There can be a number of reasons but by far the most important are Steve Carell and Catherine Keener.
At the start, Virgin is the sort of movie that is not unlike others in the same genre (Wedding Crashers, There's Something About Mary), in a word, raunchy. Even if you generally enjoy humour that stems from sex, whether you have a good laugh or find the whole thing tedious depends very much on you mood at that particular time. And the title tells all, the movie IS about a 40 year old virgin and the obsession (of the movie, but not necessarily of the protagonist) is with sex.
Through the establishing first half, the laughs that the audience came for are effectively delivered through the help of a good, and good-sized, supporting cast. Then, as the central romance develops, because of the natural, immensely likable persona of Carell and Keener, we soon find ourselves rooting for them wholeheartedly. Individually they are each wonderful. Together, they're magical.
The finale is inspired, showcasing the cast, and will particularly please those who remember the rock musical "Hair" from the late 60s.