Customer Reviews

40 Days and 40 Nights

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

I've found the greater amount of movies disappoint me, but Josh Hartnett has proven himself to be one of the rare actors of Hollywood, who takes risks and can laugh at himself. This movie was upbeat, snappy writing, although not as hyperactive as "The Gilmore Girls" and moved at a great pace, not too slow, not too fast. I laughed out loud often, along with the rest of the audience.
The theme exposes how young, hip, single men look at thier own sexual needs as opposed to how we woman view sex. A handsome hunk who apparently has no problems attracting woman, Josh's character is carrying around self-imposed sexual performance baggage after being dumped by a longtime girlfriend. His humorous, Catholic roots influence his choice to vow to 40 days of total sexual abstinance for Lent, in an attempt to once again attain control over his "issues".
I thought Hartnett and his co-stars did a terrific job of portraying the real but laughable status of men's basic sexual

needs/desires. This plot plays on the recent study that revealed how men think about sex every few moments. Yes, LOTS of guys watch porn, read Playboy and gratify themselves. This is no secret, and certainly easier to hear mention of than the perversions portrayed in so many other movies.
Unknown to him at first, Hartnett's co-workers and friends take the abstinance ball and run with it as a sub plot, while we watch Josh start to suffer. Throw in a tempting and available new love interest to test his will and the sexual tension heats up.
I found this movie far less offensive than most of the regularly available crud on prime time TV and more tame than you might expect, in terms of sexuality, language etc. Each character was developed enough to make the viewer believe them.
I suppose you could call this a guy movie, but any of us women who have lived with a man, will recognize the dilemma and actions of the main character and his cohorts.

An utterly atrocious film. Not only is the premise completely ludicrous, but the (literal) climax of the movie depicts the protagonist being raped -- raped! -- by his spiteful ex-girlfriend, who is awarded a sizable cash prize for her crime. The protagonist is then harangued by his volatile love interest for "cheating" and forced to apologize! And all of this is somehow supposed to be funny. What. The. Hell?! If the roles had been reversed -- if the rape and humiliation of a female protagonist had been portrayed as a comical misunderstanding -- 40 Days & 40 Nights would have been barred from theaters for trivializing sex crimes and poking fun at their victims. How can anyone find this kind of sexual double-standard acceptable, let alone entertaining?

Any sex comedy that has come out in the past couple of years seems to fall victim to the same tired set of gags and cliches. This movie is no exception. While it's premise may be original, it's execution is all too familiar.

Sexually frustrated male lead? Check!
Neurotic female who, for some unknown reason, the male is attracted to? Check!
A bunch of one-note friends who's lives revolve around sex? Check!
A stock pile of overused gags including the vexing "boner in public" gag? check!

Predictably, Matt (Hartnett) spends most of the movie trying to tear down the walls Erica (Sossamon) keeps throwing up between them. Half the time I have trouble figuring out what the big deal is each time she storms off upset. Apparently this is very common for Sossamon, who's played the same damn role in every movie I've ever seen her in. Kudos to whoever mentioned the part where she storm's off, forcing Matt to apologize for being raped. If I was Matt, I'd tell her to walk her ass into oncoming traffic.

40/40 is just another romantic comedy that borders on unbelievable. It's about a guy who makes the ultimate sacrifice to forego sex or anything related to sex for the duration of Lent (40 days). This started as a way for Matt (Josh Hartnett) to rid himself of his nightmares and sexual claustrophobia as he has "meaningless" sex with other women after he got dumped by his girlfriend. The office gets wind of this peculiar act, or non-act, and decides that it's worth betting on. In the course of not having sex, he meets a girl he falls in love with even without physically knowing her. Things just get tougher when people have money at stake and want him to fail, so there are many temptations along the way. Whether he makes it or not, you'll have to watch the film (or e-mail me) to find out.

It's not a laugh-out-loud type of comedy. It's definitely fun to watch and not crude in any way, but it doesn't stand out.

LEAP rating (each out of 5):
L (Language) - 4 (lots of fast talking and witty comebacks)
E (Erotica) - 3 (two brief minor upper-body nudity scenes)
A (Action) - 0 (n/a)
P (Plot) - 3 (you think he'll make it?)

"40 Days and 40 Nights" is a crude, vulgar, at times I guess it can be described as an offensive movie. In other words it's a guy's movie lol. There's something inside me saying, it's wrong for me to like this movie. This is not a "great" movie. I know I've seen much better movies. I consider myself a filmbuff and have seen several American classics and well as several foreign films. But, still, for some reason, despite myself, I like this movie. Then again I always seem to go for movies like this. I like the "American Pie" films. I liked the first "Scary Movie". So there is a side of me that enjoys vulgar humor.
"40 Days and 40 Nights" as most people know is about a guy named Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) taking a vow of celibacy for the lenght the title says. He does this because as a friend tells him "(He's) packed with issues!" He can't seem to get over his girfriend. Every other person he is with he compares to his ex, Nicole (Vinesse Shaw). But, the odd thing is, his way of trying to deal with this problem is by sleeping with them. So, he decides if he can get his mind off sex all of his problems will go away and he'll forget about his ex. But, he meets a girl, Erica (Shannyn Sossamon). Who just further tempts him and makes things worst for him.
One of the reasons I like "40 Days and 40 Nights" is that it seems to have something to say about teen dating and the importance people (of any age) have placed on sex. The film shows how that seems to be the main thing on both guys and girls mind's. There was a line in the movie that Erica gives "God!Why won't he just sleep with me!" That one line is a key line to the film. Teens and other people sometimes refer to sex as merely a casual act. Something you wouldn't even give a second thought too. I could if I want go into a whole moral issues here like, you know there was a time when people actually waited to become intimate after they were married, but, I won't. This is a modern world, with a new set of standards, no matter how bad they may be. But, one of the problems with the film is, after it lightly touches these ideas it stops!
Is this a movie everyone will enjoy? No. This is purely a "teen movie" If adults saw this they would just think to themselves "Is this the way MY kids are!? That's it, they're not going out for a whole year!" But, teens will like it, and who knows, if a couple goes to see this, it may even open a door to discuss what each of them thinks about sex. And plus girls will just like staring at Hartnett, so it no lost for them either.
Bottom-line: A good funny "teen movie" that actually does have something to say. I think both guys and girls will enjoy this one.

If irony is indeed the master trope of the universe, as I have been claiming for several decades, then you know that as soon as Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) makes a vow to stay celibate for the "40 Days and 40 Nights" of Lent, that he is going to meet the love of his life. That would be Erica Sutton (Shannyn Sossamon), who fate throws him together with at the local laundry mat. Matt knows that he is being tested. The problem is that pretty much everyone he knows is in on the cosmic joke.

Matt takes his vow because his breakup with Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) has left him a wreck. He keeps bailing out on successful dates and is becoming obsessed with ceilings. He goes for comfort and advice from his brother who is studying to be a priest and practicing hearing confessions. When he sees the banners for Lent going up he takes it as a sign and swears off sex, including foreplay and self-gratification. Unfortunately, once his roommate Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) finds out the deals this becomes the prefect opportunity to use the internet to get a pool going on how long Matt can, uh, last.

Now, for the sake of argument we will assume that Matt has no discernable brain activity when he is asleep (despite scenes to the contrary), so that we can have the willing suspension of disbelief to go with the film's running gag that has the hero falling part as he goes longer and longer without relief. In the real world this guy would be able to keep his vow and wake up without any major problems. But writer Rob Perez and director Michael Lehmann ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") want to milk this guy's discomfort for everything it is worth and, unfortunately, more.

It dawned on me that this movie has is clearly bifurcated into the "guy" parts and the "girl" parts and the biggest problem with "40 Days and 40 Nights" is that the two halves do not fit together (as compared to "50 First Dates," which overcomes a similar problem and combines comedy and sweetness). Matt's friends and co-workers treat his vow as a joke and/or money making opportunity. This allows for lots of jokes and some prosthetic humor that leads to the inevitable conclusion that all men are pigs.

Where this film had potential was with the idea that Matt would have to date a woman without having sex, both before and after she finds out about THE VOW. However, I find it hard to believe that finding out about such a thing would really be upsetting to a woman, especially if the guy knows how to handle a flower (and Matt really knows how to handle a flower; this film must have given lots of couples ideas for similar epsiodes of flower fun). But if you stop and think about it the idea that a couple could have a good time on a date with sex or any form of physical contact has to be against just about everything Hollywood stands for (assuming, of course, they are in an upright position).

I was planning on liking this 2002 comedy more, but then somebody bad does something really bad without consequences. No comeuppance. No joke at their expense. No sense of outraged expressed by another character. Nothing. I was so ticked off by that turn of events that when the film cobbled together the requisite happy ending I was not really in the mood to enjoy it. But the filmmakers do get props for coming up with a nice little gift as Matt's final act of contrition.

Final Note: "40 Days and 40 Nights" was certified for 11 year old in Sweden, 12 years old in the Netherlands and Portugal, 13 year olds in Spain, 14 years olds in Brazil and the cantons of Vaud and Geneva in Switzerland, 15 year olds in the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway, 16 year olds in Argentina and in the Swiss canon of Grisons. I have no idea what to make of these numbers but they sure are interesting and make me wonder what is up with those Swiss kids in Grisons (was it the sex or the vow part they are worried about?).

Someone else wrote something about recalling their personal experiences that this movie conjured up for them. Well, in a similar but different way, I have to admit that I did the opposite and actually imitated the movie...or at least the general premise of it. Granted the scenes and subplots were somewhat outlandish and contrived, but this was an overall inspiring movie for me at a time when I too was looking for meaning in what was then a very unmeaningful phase in my life.

Without coming off like some kind of wannabe player, I will just say that I had enough casual experiences with beautiful women to realize that this was not a way to fill in the void that only true love could render--yeah, you know what's right but you take a few wrong turns to actually get why it is, ya mean? (that's Brooklyn for, "do you understand what I am saying?")LOL

Anyway, a year ago, I did the 40/40 fast and I must say that situations that might have been considered for alternate scenes for this movie definitely began to happen to me, especially from the African-American male point of view (lol). I avoided situations that I would later want to slap myself for not engaging in (e.g. why did the most beautiful woman in the entire club, whom every man seemed to be after, decide to just randomly sit by me and why did she try to molest me on the dancefloor, later on, when I explained to her when she asked why I was purposely keeping my distance from her heavenly-sculpted body (sometimes I get migraines thinking about how much resistance I had to put up that night). 40 days/nights is definitely not an impossible feat, but when women can just seem to sense that you are doing something to resist them sexually...wow...just evil! It can really become a serious challenge, especially if you were as social as I was--hell, I'm a musician and was also an Entertainment writer back then--got me?! LOL

So, I guess the movie got to me because I related to it on a very personal level and learned a lot about myself, women, and increased willpower in the process.

As far as standout scenes in the movie...man...you gotta love the "white orchid" scene where Matt and Erica attempt physical intimacy while still playing by the his rules and not actually touching each other (LESSON: Foreplay gives equal or greater pleasure than sex for a lot of women).

His roommate was hilarious as his antagonist and the reason everyone all over the city seemed to know about his fast and was betting on him.

The "Bagel Guy" was a great character and great for running jokes (i.e. his name and that he knows everybody's business).

Nicole was definitely hot and I know for a fact that Matt's run-in with her when she came by his place and he resisted her (which only made her hornier) is not contrived! Cold showers don't do squat...a long brisk walk (even running...away, quickly) really helps!

His hot female co-workers testing him on two occasions to bend his will and break him...brings back memories!

Erica would definitely be a challenge to resist, considering she was sexy, cool, and a prime reason for Matt to engage in sex again, but this time in a monogamous, fulfilling relationship; and for the ladies reading, they're a good number of men out there that actually would prefer that...and don't live with their mother, aren't psycho, and actually have a life and are attractive (lol) ;)

Overall, this movie is a good buy if you fall into the American Pie age demographic but aren't opposed to a pro-monogamous message...even if it isn't the most serious or realistic one. And if you try to do the 40/40 fast...don't commit to something you can't finish!!

Now I'm in a monogamous, reciprocally-loving relationship with my girlfriend who represents the type of woman I need to be with that I can share myself with sexually in a spiritually-fulfilling way...but why, in all irony, is SHE a virgin??? LOL

Going into the film I had heard some good things and had fairly high expectations. The story centers around Matt (Josh Hartnett) who is depressed about his ex-girlfriend, Nicole. Every time he has sex, he can't focus and winds up faking orgasms (while denying it saying "Can we [men] do that?") He decides to give up sex and any intimacies with women or himself for Lent. His roommate puts up a website and takes bets on how long Matt will last. He then meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon) and they immediately fall in love. This love is threatened by Matt's vow of celibacy. It sounds like an interesting and perhaps funny plot line, and I will say that I did laugh a few times watching the film, but at the end I found it to be a crude and distasteful view of sex and women in general. Instead of saying what I believe they meant to do in making the film, that there is more to relationships than sex, they wound up giving, in graphic detail, the depths to which men will go to pleasure themselves. In any case, Josh Hartnett and Shannyn Sossamon both gave excellent performances and the chemistry between them was interesting to see, but unless you are into movies based solely on sex jokes and bad sex, I would stay clear of this film.

This movie actually started out okay, and I thought that Josh Hartnett's character was sweet. I didn't think it was that funny at all, though, and once the friends make a bet that Josh's character can't last without any form of sex for the whole period of Lent it goes on a downward spiral from ok movie to very bad movie.
Curious to see how it all ends and if he makes it, I stupidly keep watching. The ending is terrible! Let's just say I agree with the "spoiler" reviewer from Oxfordshire, England about what the ex-girlfriend does.

I should've just watched Pearl Harbor again. Don't waste your money on this. Be like me, and at least wait for it on cable.

why is Josh sooo hot? he looks like Tommy Lee Jones jr. (Men in Black etc.)anyway this movie really is a stinker, god I was so totally annoyed by the bad acting, not funny plot -or- lines, another brainless teenmovie, comedy? I didn't get it, sorry 1 star and not an inch more!