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| Courtesy of Universal |
The
guy who made Funny People obviously isn’t known for his brevity, but somehow his
latest manages to say even less about its characters in a large amount of time.
The comedic drama clocks in at 134 minutes, but feels even longer due to
meandering scenes and unnecessary subplots. Days later, I’m trying to figure
out why a story about a bickering married couple needs to have the same running
time as Zero Dark Thirty, which covers the decade-long search for Osama bin
Laden in minute detail.
That
doesn’t make This Is 40 a bad movie; it just has misplaced priorities. The
story reintroduces viewers to Debbie (Leslie Mann, Apatow’s wife) and Pete
(Paul Rudd), the sister and brother-in-law of Katherine Heigl’s character in Knocked Up, taking a close look at every aspect of their lives as they both
turn the big 4-0. And I mean EVERY aspect.
It
examines their marriage and if they are successfully raising their children (Maude
and Iris Apatow, the director’s kids). It delves into their strained relationships
with their fathers (Albert Brooks and John Lithgow, spot-on casting).
The
flick also spends a lot of time on the couple’s failing businesses. Pete’s
indie record label is about to go under and Debbie suspects one of her clothing
boutique employees (either Megan Fox or Charlyne Yi) has embezzled $12,000. Throw
in the fact that Pete has secretly given his dad $80,000 over the last few
years and it’s clear why the couple is struggling financially.
What
isn’t readily apparent is why the audience should feel sympathy for Pete and Debbie.
The film establishes the family’s financial problems will be instantly solved
by selling their luxurious Los Angeles home – a buyer is already interested –
and settling for something more affordable. (Keeping in mind their version of “affordable”
is more money than most of us will see in a lifetime.)
Pete
refuses the idea outright and decides to keep Debbie in the dark instead. Brilliant.
Then the audience is subjected to scene after scene involving getaways to upscale
resorts, lunches in exclusive restaurants and trips in the family Lexus with every
passenger tinkering on their own iPad. Forgive me if I don’t feel bad for Pete
as he weeps in his car, BMW hood ornament prominently displayed in the frame.
I
know the previous paragraphs make it sound like I hated the movie, which couldn’t
be further from the truth. In fact, I found myself laughing hysterically
numerous times thanks to the cast’s exceptional comedic skills. Rudd and Mann
are terrific as always, deftly transitioning back and forth between funny and
serious. I just don’t think the narrative needs the whiplash-inducing tonal
shifts.
Maude
and Iris Apatow are also gifted comediennes – it’s in their genes, I suppose –
and don’t possess any of the annoying affectations typically found in child
actors. Even minor roles are played by hilarious performers, particularly Robert
Smigel, Jason Segal, Chris O’Dowd and Melissa McCarthy. I just wish they had
more to do. Since this is an Apatow flick, I’m guessing they’ll all appear in
hours of deleted scenes on the eventual Blu-Ray.
Married
couples in the audience will no doubt laugh and cringe in equal measure at
their own faults playing out on a giant screen in front of them. My wife and I
have had so many of Pete and Debbie’s arguments that I stopped keeping count after
a while. It’s extremely realistic in that regard.
I
just wish that Apatow didn’t interpret his final cut approval to mean that
longer equals better. There is a fantastic movie buried somewhere within This Is 40. But that flick is probably closer to 100 minutes than two and a half
hours.
This
Is 40 is rated R for sexual content, crude humor, pervasive language and some
drug material.
Grade:
B-
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