Monday, November 21, 2005

Movie review - "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005) *** 1/2

Unexpectedly sweet comedy about a very late starter in an area of life, painfully shy virgin (Steve Carrell). There are some gross out moments - dick jokes, urine jokes, talking about women having sex with a horse - but the Saturday Night alumni have been shown by Adam Sandler that sweetness and pull them in as much as grossness.

Catherine Keener has a very difficult role - a woman attracted to the virgin. Keener pulls it off - she plays the character as a bit of an aging rock groupie, a single grandmother, so it makes sense that she likes him. This makes the whole film work.

Good work from the support cast, even the little roles like the hen's night slapper the virgin picks up, the woman doing the body wax, the kids in sex class. Many memorable moments - constant use of that guy from the Doobie Brothers in the store, the way the male characters keep getting distracted by the TV during deep and meaningful moments.

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