Review: This is 40

In what is apparently a spin-off to “Knocked Up” (Didn’t see it, not a Heigl fan), Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann play a married couple with kids (played by Maude and Iris Apatow). Both Rudd and Mann are turning 40, but the latter is in denial. The gist of the plot is both Rudd and Mann’s dealing with their middle-age milestone as a birthday party is on the horizon. Jason Segel plays a flirt who was apparently in “Knocked Up”, Albert Brooks and John Lithgow play the respective fathers, Lena Dunham and Chris O’Dowd are Rudd’s co-workers, Megan Fox is an employee of Mann’s.

 

I finally decided to watch this 2013 ‘dramedy’ from writer-director Judd Apatow (“The 40 Year-Old Virgin”, the terrific “Funny People”) at age 41, I guess making me roughly the target age for the subject matter, though I’m currently neither married nor afflicted with children. I must say though, that this is one of the softer recommendations I’m likely to give. Some of this is really quite good, even funny at times. However, I kept thinking it should’ve been better or at least more consistently funny. I didn’t particularly like the running gag of Paul Rudd making very dark and horrible remarks about his spouse. We get it, he’s kidding and some will appreciate the bitter humour. I’m just not one of them, I think it makes his character slightly less likeable – and these are pretty likeable characters on the whole. I also think a couple of scenes were a bit TMI, particularly the haemorrhoids scene (an earlier discussion while Rudd is on the toilet however, is genuinely funny. So I’m weird like that). For the most part though, this was certainly very watchable and occasionally even more than that. It even gives us Megan Fox’s only good turn to date, though the real scene-stealers here are Apatow and Leslie Mann’s real-life kids who play Mann and Rudd’s kids here. They’re terrific and the funniest things in the film.

 

Rudd and Mann are perfectly cast here. Rudd’s got an easy-going likeability and laidback vibe that is perfect for a guy who lives with three females. He’s a bit of a reticent dick bottling up his emotions and she’s a bit shallow, but for the most part they come off as quite likeable and relatable. The scene where Rudd tries to get the family dancing to Alice In Chains’ grunge classic ‘Rooster’ is funny stuff. Meanwhile, Mann is that special kind of actress who can truly sell a line like ‘40 can suck my dick!’. She’s a fearless trouper who gives it 110%. In support, Albert Brooks is well-cast as Rudd’s mooching father and Jason Segel is always good value, though Charlyne Yi is annoying and embarrassingly odd as Mann’s employee. What on Earth was that all about?

 

More clever and keenly observed than outrageously funny, this is a highly watchable if not especially memorable Apatow excursion. A great cast helps, though even then the constant famous faces parade gets a little annoying. Melissa McCarthy’s cameo is especially awful.

 

Rating: B-