Better than it looked in the commercials

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2009)

I avoided watching this movie for a long time, because the commercials frankly gave me the impression that this was going to be another sex comedy, when, in fact, it is actually a nice story.
Part of what makes this movie great is that Carell's character is very likable. Carell's ability to play grotesque characters straight comes through very well here. It makes Andy seem very easy to sympathize with, and makes the viewer hope for the best for him. While I don't imagine that his so-called "problem" is the norm, I would assume that it's not as rare as people think, especially for someone as socially awkward as this character. Yet, despite (or perhaps because of) his nerdy demeanor and his social awkwardness, he's hard not to like. He is particularly sympathetic compared to the jerks who try to take him under their wing. Seriously, if the nicest guy in your group of friends stalks his ex-girlfriend, you need to find better people to hang out with.
I also enjoyed the ending, where the film reaches the conclusion that his virginity wasn't a curse, and that it was worth it because he eventually met the right person. I liked this message because they don't beat you over the head with an overt moral message, but instead it's just kind of something that makes sense for this particular character. It's kind of a cute ending for a movie that has such twisted humor throughout the whole thing. This is the kind of comedy I like: twisted humor, but an overall good story.
Overall, it was a good movie that I will definitely watch again.