This Is 40

[lazarus]

Well, I'm probably not the most objective audience member, as I've really enjoyed all of Judd Apatow's films.

This is pretty much par for the course. If you hated Funny People, you might like this more but not be over the moon. If you liked/loved that, you'll most likely like this. If you liked Knocked Up, you'll probably like this.

One thing I can say is that whatever Apatow's faults are, at least the guy is honest. While both main characters have their problems, I think Rudd's falls more on the side of unlikable than Mann's, and the writer is clearly turning the mirror on himself without regard for his own image. The brilliance of making this a family affair is that one imagines most of these scenarios and arguments having played themselves out in one form or another in the Apatow-Mann household.

The direction may not appear at first to have become more sophisticated, but there are a number of smaller, quieter moments that show growth. A brief scene following a meeting with a school principal could have been mawkish but simply leaves the viewer to enter the heads of the main characters to find satisfaction.

I laughed a lot, mostly out loud. But as I said, I'm susceptible to Apatow's brand of humor. The only elements that didn't work for me were Charlene Yi, and a running gag about LOST that feels a bit shoehorned in as it continues. And with the latter, it wouldn't surprise me if this was something drawn from Maude Apatow's own life.

John Lithgow and Brooks were great, nuanced support. Jason Segel and Melissa McCarthy were funny but pretty much what you'd expect at this point.

Rudd tends to be a sympathetic guy onscreen, which offsets how selfish and foolish his character is written. Mann is a treasure who seems to be in danger of some kind of backlash, which would be said because she's still never gotten her due. Her not getting a Globe nomination for this is a fucking joke, even if in many respects she's playing herself. Her timing is impeccable and I love watching her react as well as her outbursts.

If this is going to be considered an adapted screenplay because of the pre-existing characters (which is a lame qualification), then I think I'd probably find room for this on a ballot. Original is a little tougher this year.

[Blue Velvet Bayou]

I thought this was great. It's completely shapeless and messy (in a good way); unlike any Hollywood film I've seen this year in terms of narrative.

And like how good is Albert Brooks in this? The scene alone where he's taking all their junk food is almost too subtle to notice, but it's hilariously dead-on.

[Donezo]

I really did not care for this at all. I laughed from time to time, but I ultimately left the theater wondering what the point was. Was I supposed to be rooting for Rudd and Mann to figure it out? It's hard to get invested in two selfish, childish characters generally being awful to each other for two hours. The actors didn't do much to help - they're stuck in that Apatow improv-riff mode that prevents them from ever seeming like real people. I thought both came off rather poorly in this, especially Mann. I loved her in Knocked Up, but she is fairly shrill and insufferable in this.

Is it supposed to say something about aging? It casts a fairly broad net - sex, money, marriage, relationships with aging parents and growing children. It doesn't dig very deep into any of those subjects and mostly mines them for cheap laughs. It meanders from comedic set piece to comedic set piece without much rhyme or reason. Some of these scenes felt like they were coming from different films entirely - especially the Melissa McCarthy plot. I thought this was a mess. My takeaway was "isn't my family funny and weird??" Nia Vardalos already tried and failed to make a career out of that, Mr. Apatow.

[Stimmer]

as someone who loves most things by the apatow clan, i'm really looking forward to this


PS:

http://teamcoco.com/video/serious-ji...02-judd-apatow

[dyedred19]

This was fine.

It takes a while to find any sort of groove. There's a decent stretch if about 45 minutes midway through where this is consistently fun and hilarious. That brings up a large issue, however: the film's length. It's entirely too long. Rudd and Mann are both fairly unlivable. It often felt like "white people's problems" come to life. I also agree that the running Lost gag was strange. It dated the movie in a weird, unnecessary way.

Still, there's enough here for me to recommend it. Chris O 'Dowd is hilarious and adorable and he might be the best part of the movie. Jason Segal makes a crack about the difference between straight mustaches and gay mustaches that was probably my favorite line in the movie.

If you do see this, be sure to stick around during the credits for Melissa McCarthy's gag reel. It's legendary. In that moment, though, you kind of yearn for what else the movie could have been.

[lazarus]

If you do see this, be sure to stick around during the credits for Melissa McCarthy's gag reel. It's legendary. In that moment, though, you kind of yearn for what else the movie could have been.

This doesn't make any sense to me. What happens in that gag reel that's so different from what's in the film? They kept the most disturbing, vulgar things she said anyway.

[dyedred19]

This doesn't make any sense to me. What happens in that gag reel that's so different from what's in the film? They kept the most disturbing, vulgar things she said anyway.

I think more in the sense that you see Rudd, Mann and McCarthy just having one hell of a great time. I wanted to see the energy from that scene permeate throughout the entire movie. The constraints of the script often prevented it from doing so.

[veritas]

If you do see this, be sure to stick around during the credits for Melissa McCarthy's gag reel. It's legendary.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I was bowled over by that fucking gag reel. McCarthy was fire.

[bryan1311]

I think more in the sense that you see Rudd, Mann and McCarthy just having one hell of a great time. I wanted to see the energy from that scene permeate throughout the entire movie. The constraints of the script often prevented it from doing so.

But, that was kind of the point of the whole movie? It's not supposed to be upbeat and energetic.

Anyway, I actually really liked this, even if it could have used a bit of trimming (the coffee house scene with the employee who was actually stealing was way too over-the-top for my tastes). I do think it could have been a bit sharper, a lot of important life lessons are brought up, but they're often very broad. But like Funny People, I appreciated the fact that Apatow seemed to branching off from his typical film, even if only slightly, and going for something a bit more serious/dark for this sort of genre. It doesn't always work, but I think it was mostly successful and Leslie Mann is the best.

[dyedred19]

Yeah, I know. I just kind of felt an energy there, not even necessarily an in-your-face grotesque type of energy, that fell flat elsewhere. It's hard to explain. I just feel like we saw some talent wasted here.

I mean, I enjoyed the movie. You're right, Bryan, in complaining about its length. Everything is just a little bit too stretched. I applaud Apatow for testing the limits of himself and of his fan base. It can tend to make for an awkward mix, though.

[bryan1311]

Yeah, I know. I just kind of felt an energy there, not even necessarily an in-your-face grotesque type of energy, that fell flat elsewhere. It's hard to explain. I just feel like we saw some talent wasted here.

I mean, I enjoyed the movie. You're right, Bryan, in complaining about its length. Everything is just a little bit too stretched. I applaud Apatow for testing the limits of himself and of his fan base. It can tend to make for an awkward mix, though.

Yeah, I see what you're saying, and I too loved that gag reel. But I think Apatow was right to cut most of it.

I think what we saw in this film and also in Funny People, is Apatow taking his "brand" of comedy and stretching it further and further to very uncomfortable ends. It's not always successful, but I think it's pretty brave the way he's subtly evolved his films from being targeted towards 20-30 year-olds to something a bit more...mature (I'm not sure if that's the right word to describe it). Now, this sometimes can make his films seem a bit too long, but at least on an idea level, I kind of applaud him for trying it. And, as Lazarus said, he's been subtly incorporating more cinematic style into his films.

[veritas]

But, that was kind of the point of the whole movie? It's not supposed to be upbeat and energetic.

Anyway, I actually really liked this, even if it could have used a bit of trimming (the coffee house scene with the employee who was actually stealing was way too over-the-top for my tastes). I do think it could have been a bit sharper, a lot of important life lessons are brought up, but they're often very broad. But like Funny People, I appreciated the fact that Apatow seemed to branching off from his typical film, even if only slightly, and going for something a bit more serious/dark for this sort of genre. It doesn't always work, but I think it was mostly successful and Leslie Mann is the best.

Aww, Bry, I was dying over that shit! One of my favorite parts, easily.

[bryan1311]

Aww, Bry, I was dying over that shit! One of my favorite parts, easily.

Was she SUPPOSED to be acting like Gollum?

[lazarus]

The worst scene in the entire film, felt like it belonged in another movie.

[KMKinCB]

I just watched this.

The first hour sucks but almost everything after is amazing.

Charlene Yi needed to be cut though, her scenes are awful and don't fit in.

I love Leslie Mann but I thought she was weak in some scenes while being extremely powerful in others.

I though Rudd, Brooks, Lithgow and surprisingly Fox were best in show.

[Donezo]

Charlene Yi is generally the worst. I haven't recovered from the trauma that was Paper Heart. Why is she in movies?

[dyedred19]

Charlene Yi is generally the worst. I haven't recovered from the trauma that was Paper Heart. Why is she in movies?

Paper Heart is, literally, the worst movie ever made.

[DirkDiggler]

This was guud.

[Muriel Heslop]

I enjoyed this a lot actually, minus Charlene Yi. Ewwww.

And Megan Fox was not as foxy as she normally is?

[HollyG]

This was too long, most of the first hour could/should have been cut, the second half is pretty great though. I still adore Leslie Mann, but she needs to get away from her husband (professionally) and I still can't stand Paul Ruud, he's one note and always seems uncomfortable. I really liked Megan Fox and Jason Segel, though no offence to him but he doesn't look like he could be anyone's trainer.
If i have to grade only the first 45 minutes i would give it 5/10, but i would give 8/10 to the last 45 minutes.

So 6.5/10