The 40 Year Old Virgin

Stars : Steve Carell, Catharine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Gerry Bednob

Directed By: Judd Apatow
Released by: Universal, United International

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. This was the cinematic career of Steve Carell before The 40 year old Virgin. Having played minor, though memorable, roles in such movies as Anchorman and Bruce Almighty, Virgin was the first time audiences got to see what he could offer on his own, uninhibited by having to play second fiddle to a bigger screen name. It was suggested by many that Carell lacked the talent and pulling power to make this movie a hit. $100 million at the US Box Office appears to tell a different story. However it is a story that may be slightly misleading, for reasons I'll examine later. Although far from being anywhere near the best of its genre, Virgin has just enough to keep you entertained for 2 and a bit hours. Just enough. It may be an indication of the incredibly dire situation the box office finds itself in at the moment, that a movie like this made so much money. It isnt a classic. It is largely quite forgettable. It might make you laugh out loud a few times, but don't expect a rip-roaring comedy smash, which is what some reviewers, misleadingly, have made it out to be. It's just not that funny.

In Virgin, we meet Andy Stitzer, a 40 year old (obviously) single male who is storeroom manager at his local electrical goods store. Andy enjoys Survivor, playing with his large collection of action figurines, and riding his bike to work (he doesn't have a car). Though no doubt pleasant enough, its a largely meaningless existence, though one Andy is quite happy with. However, during a late night game of poker with his colleagues, Andy's big secret comes out. He's a virgin. A 40 year old virgin, to be precise. What follows is a series of "hilarious" situations set up by Andy's buddies to get Andy laid. It's often crass, politically incorrect humour, that caused one elderly gentlemen in the theatre I was in to walk out. The same humour also made an elderly woman in the same theatre cackle with glee. And I think that best summarizes what Virgin does to an audience. Some people have loved this movie, others have really hated it.

The main problem I had with this film was that it tried to be something it wasn't. It attempted to be some sort of modern day parable at times, extolling the virtues of "waiting" in the name of love. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this sentiment, it had no place in a movie such as this. Pushing forward messages of love with the one hand, while exhibiting explicit pornography and toilet humour with the other, makes for a confusing experience. Sometimes, Virgin just goes too far. A particularly stupid sequence, in which two of Andy's friends are each explaining to each other why they think the other is "gay", is unncecessary and puerile. Scenes involving Andy's boss, played by Jane Lynch, are clumsy and only awkwardly funny. Much like the latter half of this movie. What is initially a promising concept soon becomes more like Deuce Bigalow rather than a more sophisticated adult version of American Pie, which would better justify its box office takings.

It's not all bad though, you can't help but find yourself liking Carell's Andy. Carell also wrote and produced Virgin, so it's fair to say he is the whole movie. It is his performance that perhaps has allowed Virgin to reach such dizzy heights for this sort of comedy. He is indeed a funny man, and a very talented comedy actor, and I look forward to seeing what he can do as Maxwell Smart in the upcoming Get Smart remake, and in the Bruce Almighty sequel spinoff, Evan Almighty. Sadly, his performance just wasnt enough to rescue Virgin. With the exception of Catharine Keener as love interest Trish, no one else really steps up and stands out in the film, if anything, the selection of Andy's buddies (Paul Rudd et al.), weigh the whole thing down.

The success of Virgin can only really be attributed to the fact that audiences and critics alike are so desperate for a decent October comedy release that they decided to make this movie a hit. Australian audiences have so far made this movie #1 for two weeks in a row, though its grip weakened considerably in the second week, and it can be expected to drop like a stone before long. By rights it's what this movie should have done from the beginning.


out of ten

Reviewed by Nick Bailey

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