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31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 40-Year-Old Virgin's review..., March 9, 2007
My first viewing of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was late in its theatrical run. By then it had been banished to the smallest theater in the multiplex, so me and (I assume) the only other middle-aged virgin in town were its sole audience. I wish I'd seen it sooner, because it's now one of my all-time favorite comedies.
Forty-year-old Andy Stitzer lives a comfortably regimented singleton life - similar to the main character from "About a Boy," except chaste, uncool, and with no internal monologue. He works in the service department of Smart Tech, a Circuit City-like electronics store. One day, a couple of coworkers ask him to be the fifth man at a poker party. He accepts, but during the game is outed as a virgin. The rest of the movie revolves around his friends' outrageous attempts to get him hooked up, along with Andy's determined efforts to overcome his fear of women and woo Trish, an attractive customer who owns an online auction store the street.
This could easily have been another lowbrow copulation comedy. However, it's much better than that. Steve Carell (also a co-writer) does a fine job of making Andy into a sympathetic character. Indeed, I easily identified with his motivations and actions: the bad experiences that led him to forsake dating, his escape into fantasy, and even the mundane activities he uses to fill his solitary life. Andy's friends are also intriguing because they represent flawed approaches to women. David (Paul Rudd) is obsessed with a gal who dumped him years ago, Cal (Seth Rogan) objectifies females, and the serial cheater Jay (Romany Malco) can't commit to his longsuffering girlfriend.
The movie has been lengthened in this DVD edition by 17 minutes with additional and extended scenes. As for DVD extras, this edition is packed with a decent assortment. Deleted scenes like Andy's public karaoke debut added depth to the characters. A series of outtakes include the usual blown lines, gaffes, and laughing fits. The lively commentary contains interesting bits of trivia on the filmmaking process. However, it was a bit too crowded for my taste (just about everybody shows up), and Seth Rogan has a tendency to dominate the proceedings. Unfortunately, Catherine Keener is a glaring absence. Her portrayal of Trish is excellent, and I really wanted to hear her perspective. Finally, the other featurettes, such as the waxing scene "making-of" bit, are stock, but passable.
Although it's somewhat raunchy, as a Christian I have to commend "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" for a single crucial thing: it's the only mainstream movie I know of that makes chastity until marriage look like a grand idea. That alone is enough to recommend it (even if my pastor disagrees). But the humor, story, characters, and performances are also worth the watch - especially if someday, like me, you hope to sing "Age of Aquarius" on your honeymoon.
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178 of 229 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One Very Smart, Dumb Movie, August 20, 2005
Surprise, it's a morality tale disguised as a sex comedy.
Imagine you combined a few of the best parts of Something about Mary, 40 days and 40 nights, Sideways and ( as strange as it might sound) an after school special. Now, throw in more profanity than really necessary and imagine that the combination worked.
Plus, unlike the Josh Hartnett film, 40 days and 40 nights, there is some actual thought given to the kind of person who is shown.
It's not Shakespeare. It's not Once Upon a Time In Mexico. And it's not the Usual Suspects, but for what it is it works.
And what it is, is the smartest dumb movie I've seen in a very long time.
Among its many surprises, is you have a peer group of men who actually look out for each other.
You also have an attractive grandmother who is not the standard cookie-cutter grandmother.
These are just two of the many departures from the expected that make this anything but the one-note comedy that the commercials make it seem like.
The 40 year-old is cut from the same cloth as Steve Martin's early masterpiece, the Jerk, and as someone in his thirties, it's refreshing to see a funny movie, where the main character is not a 20-something.
Plus, the soundtrack is a surprising combination of some of the forgotten treasures of pop and broadway.
Perhaps, the best of all, it's nice to be reminded that everyone is running on their own schedule in life.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You know how I know your gay? you like Coldplay"., March 24, 2006
Well what can I say, I thought this film would turn into crap but I was completely wrong. Steve Carell is hillarious as Andy Stitzer the 40 year old virgin he is a laugh riot especialy during the scene where he gets his hairy chest waxed, I was surprised that the film didn't turn out to be as crude or vulgar as people have mentioned I mean there are a couple of scenes that are crude but its not over the top like soul plane or that disgusting Tom Green flick, the film is more of a dumb comedy like something from the farreley brothers. There is a message in the film which was pretty obvious but don't look for a deeper meaning its kind of stupid but very funny, the film has plenty of laugh out loud moments and there is a bit of romance when Catherine Keener's character gets romanticly involved with Andy. The story is about Andy Stitzer who at work gets invited by his co-workers for a game of poker one of them thinks hes a serial killer because of his strange behaviour, then it is found out that he has never done it with a woman in his entire life so they help him out and lots of hilarious incidents happen there is also an old foul-mouthed indian guy who say the funniest lines. Overall this is a great comedy not to be taken seriously you might enjoy it after all, its one of the funniest comedies I've seen in years.
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