A romantic comedy that's actually funny and romantic

Rating: 7/10 (5 April 2010)

In general, romantic comedies tend to be successful because of their ability to generate laughter. This is because most movies are cast because of their star-power, not whether the actors have chemistry with each other. So when a movie comes along that actually makes us care about the characters' relationship (and I mean really care, not just for the sake of the story), people take notice. While Judd Apatow's 2005 film can boast a few funny scenes, it's the romance between the two central characters that really takes this movie to the next level.
Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) is an all around nice-guy. He's a little geeky, but a good soul. However, he's 40 years old, and he's never gotten laid...ever. So his co-workers make it a mission to get him some action. Meanwhile, he's attracted to a GILF (grandmother I'd like to...you know) named Trish (Catherine Keener). But will she be turned off by a guy who's never had sex (and will obviously be pretty bad at it the first time)?
Steve Carell become really popular because of the success of "The Office," a show that I hate. "The 40 Year Old Virgin" still has a lot of understated humor, but unlike "The Office," this movie is funny. Carrell is the perfect choice for Andy because he's so geeky that you can't help but like the guy. He's a nerd, but also nice and genuine. His romantic interest, Catherine Keener, is delightful. Keener is so natural in the role that it's hard to believe that this is a performance. It doesn't take long for the audience to realize that these two belong together. His co-workers, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and especially Romany Malco are pretty funny as the guys who are egging him on. However, the funniest moments have to go to Gerry Bedknob, who has some hysterical scenes.
Judd Apatow redefined comedy for the 2000's. His trademarks are understated one-liners and raunchy jokes (although I am at a loss to understand why this nearly got an NC-17 rating...it's all talk, and none of it is especially graphic). In general, I'm not a fan of understated humor. Humor has to be energetic, almost manic. The Farrelly brothers got that, Chris Farley got that, but Judd Apatow doesn't. That's not to say that this is a waste; there's some funny stuff here (like the Date-a-palooza scene), but a lot of the stuff just isn't as funny as it should be. What Apatow should be congratulated for is making the romance work. Many romantic comedies spend so much time on the jokes and forget that we're supposed to want the characters to end up together. Apatow remembers this and that's the most effective part of the movie.
Funny, romantic, and endearing, "The 40 Year Old Virgin" is a good movie, plain and simple.