Film Review: This is 40

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Chris O’Dowd, entertainment, film, Film Review, Jason Segel, Judd Apatow, Knocked Up, Leslie Mann, Megan Fox, movies, Paul Rudd, reviews, This is 40, writer/director Judd Apatow

Five years after the lukewarm comedy Knocked Up writer/director Judd Apatow latest offering, This is 40, looks at marriage from a different angle.

This time around we get to know Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) a little more. While both are on the brink of turning 40 they both approach the big day in their own unique fashion. Debbie is struggling with her age and is living in complete denial, and Pete is trying to recapture his success getting deeper and deeper into depth along the way. This self-delusional couple have two girls who seem to only play a minor role in their every day life as the couple drive each other nuts.

This is 40 is yet another comedy that relies on laughs through cheap jokes, mostly about blow-jobs, and silly adolescent humour that just isn’t very funny. Apatow’s plot isn’t very original and lacks depth, and while he does have good intentions the film is flat. Even loveable Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann can’t save the storyline and more often than not the age of the main characters and the childish humour don’t sit quite right.

For most (male) viewers the high-lights of the film will be when sexy Megan Fox as shop worker Desi steals the limelight with her ample cleavage, curves and minimal clothing. And even the normally quite funny Jason Segel as Debbies personal trainer is just a paler, less funny version of Marshal from How I met you Mother. Man of the moment Chris O’Dowd gives his usual goofy self as Ronnie, so no surprises or intrigue there either.

Overall This is 40 never reaches boiling point and stays at a pleasant but boring tepid temperature.

corner pub

Tags

Caroline Moreau, Dublin, entertainment, french Chanson, Larry Beau, miscellaneous, music, pubs, random

There is a pub on the corner to the street where I live. I pass it by nearly every day but in the two and  a half years that I have lived here I have never been inside. I am not really sure why, I think it is a combination of not being a “pub-goer’ per se, that the men and women who hang around outside look less then inviting and that I generally meet people in town.  But yesterday everything changed!

About a week ago I found an intriguing flyer in my letterbox. It was from my corner pub inviting me to something, what was very unclear as it didn’t say just listed names and the image was of knives and forks. But because I didn’t know to what this flyer was inviting me I thought I might go, just to find out.

So when my neighbour dropped in for a cup of tea we decided to venture over and check out what it was all about and boy were we pleasantly surprised. We had to wander through the pub and climb a flight of stairs to find a lounge packed with people. Unlike the lovely old men nursing their pints downstairs these were a collection of arty, alternative and interesting looking  men of women of all ages.

The evening started off with an original reading, moved on to french chansons and then moved on to a lyrical poet, who sang wonderfully songs in a  modern mistral style.

This unique evening was not like anything we had expected and as our pleasant surprise turned into exhaled joy we both decided that this monthly event of “The House Presents” was well worth dropping in on.

And as I sat and taped my toes, sang along and drank red wine I grinned and realised that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover but it seems the same goes for corner pubs.

And if you want to know the reason for all my raving, check out  the unique Larry Beau and his lyrical storytelling: