Friday, December 21, 2012

This is 40

Well,"This is 40" could be called a number of things. I suggest "This is Depressing", "This Couple is Awful" or maybe "This is Not That Funny".  We were really looking forward to this movie- which is branded a "comedy" and is supposed to be about the mid-life crises that arise. The previews showed a couple who approached it with humor, or at least togetherness. Oh no- don't go down that path. There are serious control issues, serious abandonment issues, a jillion plot contrivances, immaturity, communication problems - and in fact, a total disbelief that these two (Paul Rudd and the director Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann) would even be together for more than ten minutes on a blind date. The talent tries their best to make it work- Rudd, Mann, the child actors, Lithgow and a really pathetic role for Albert Brooks- and the trying is very obvious. The key problem is the script- it is just all OVER the place. There is no depth- and even a comedy needs a real premise and some depth. Not here. The only role that is believable is Megan Fox as an "escort" with no brains. That I believe. There is almost ugliness in the way people treat one another. And that only makes the audience squirm. Sure- it is funny in parts, but that isn't enough to save the movie. Stay for the final credits for a few minutes to watch Melissa McCarthy adlib a scene in the movie - too bad there wasn't more of her in this.  I'd prefer not to give it 2 stars, but well, maybe nasty arguments and ridiculous kiss and makeups over and over are somebody's cup of tea.