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Printer-Friendly ModeCarell scores with Virgin
August 25, 2005 —
If you're not familiar with Steve Carell, now is the time to take notice.
Since the success of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy last summer, Carell is a hot commodity in Hollywood. He recently appeared in Bewitched alongside Anchorman co-star Will Ferrell, and he has three projects already lined up for next year.
But currently, Carell is the star of the new movie The 40 Year-Old Virgin. That's right, the star. While previous film appearances have been in supporting roles, Virgin gives Carell the chance to carry a film by himself. But is he up for the challenge?
Considering that Carell co-wrote the movie (with the creator of the cult television shows Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, Judd Apatow), the decision to put him in the shoes of the virgin was likely an easy one to make.
And even though the title character is not much of a stretch for Carell, his portrayal of 40 year-old virgin Andy Stitzer is worthy of a ninety minute film. However, this movie clocks in just shy of two hours, and the added time is definitely noticeable.
Since the plot of this movie is little more than a bunch of guys trying to help Andy lose his virginity, one can expect that eventually the jokes would wear thin. Basically every joke in the movie is sex-related - even the parts of the movie not centered on sex are vulgar and more than worthy of its R rating.
But that is not to say that the movie isn't funny. In fact, there are quite a few laugh out loud moments in the film. But the moments in between can sometimes last for ages. For a movie that does not surpass the two-hour mark, it has the feel of one that's nearly three hours long.
Several scenes just come across as more awkward than funny, and the movie could have definitely benefited from a few last-minute editing sessions.
However, one positive result of the extra time is the attention given to character development. Of course, this can be expected from Apatow, whose idiosyncratic characters made his TV shows so great.
This also means that his directorial debut is filled with likable characters, especially Carell's Andy, who viewers will likely root for and maybe even relate to.
However, what keeps this movie from achieving what Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared achieved is the constant vulgarity that pervades the humor. It's difficult to feel compassion toward the protagonist amid a barrage of penis jokes.
But in the end, the movie is satisfying. More jokes work than not, and there may even be a moral to this sex comedy.
So if you are a fan of The Daily Show, The Office, Anchorman...well, if you are a fan of Steve Carell, then check this movie out. However, if you are a fan of Judd Apatow, expect something a little different and not quite as rewarding as his previous work. But forget all that you know and make a trip to the theater anyway.