Let the Sun Shine In

Rating: 7/10 (22 August 2005)

Greetings again from the darkness. Although Steve Carell has shown flashes of comedic genius in "Anchorman" and on TV in "The Office" and "The Daily Show", my expectations for this one were very low, given the subject matter.
Pleasantly surprised at how Carell (as writer and lead actor) and Judd Apatow (as writer and director) delicately handle the topic and the situations that Carell's character finds himself, I found myself smiling, more than laughing. Much of the movie is downright sweet and charming.
Don't get me wrong. There is much raunch and uncomfortable content when the boys are in full planning mood. It is interesting that two of Carell's three buddies on a mission both appeared in "Anchorman" with him (Paul Rudd and the very funny Seth Rogen). Scene stealers include an almost predatory Jane Lynch and an insatiable Elizabeth Banks (Spider-Man movies).
The "Aquarius" segment at the end of brilliant and a vast improvement over a similar type ending to "There's Something About Mary"
With all of the nice supporting work, there is no mistake that this movie belongs to Carell and a truly terrific Catherine Keener. Keener displays none of the harshness that has made her famous, but instead is full of grace and charm and vulnerability. We like her and find ourselves pulling for them to make it (pun intended) Is the storyline built in? Yes. Is it executed well? Yes. This is usually a pretty good foundation for a comedy. Apatow and Carell turn a one trick pony into a pretty nice film that is definitely worth seeing.