Movie Review
40-Year-Old Virgin
Grade: A
Issue date: 9/30/05 Section: The Edge
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When seeing a preview for the "40-Year-Old Virgin" one might suspect that Steve Carell is going to be taking on his hot streak of dumb characters (Brick from "Anchorman," his "journalism" on the "Daily Show," or the bad boss from "The Office") and using it to his advantage in a lead role. That is not the case in this movie.
Andy Stitzer (Carell) is content with his solitary life. He plays video games by himself, karaokes by himself and has a vast collection of action figures, which he talks to. Andy works at an electronics store where his fellow employees talk about women and sex stories and he pretends to know what they are talking about. When he is finally invited to a poker game with the guys, he is then caught up in his act and they discover the truth; Andy is a 40-year-old virgin.
Andy's buddies are not perfect themselves. There is Davis (Paul Rudd) who is still in love with an ex-girlfriend he dated for three months and she is no longer interested in him. Jay (Romany Malco) has a girlfriend that he loves, but sees other women. Then there is Cal (Seth Rogen), whose advice leads to Andy talking in questions when trying to pick up women.
When Andy finally gets a phone number from Trish (Catherine Keener), a woman who owns a "We Sell Your Stuff on Ebay" store across the street from the electronic store, the guys advise Andy on how he needs to become experienced in the sex department before he does the "deed" with his new interest. They take him to speed dating, the bars, and the bookstore to ask out a very attractive worker. Andy knows he really likes Trish and wants to take her out, but he goes along with the guys' advice because they appear to be more knowledgeable than him.
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is fresh and original. It's a comedy that shows the embarrassing side of a middle-age man's virginity as something we can all relate to in our sexual lives. The movie also allows Carell a chance to test his acting talent and he succeeds, in bringing an embarrassing "problem" to light and humanizing it.
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is original with its comedy and gags about porn, homosexuality and hooking up with drunken girls. It is this year's best comedy, hands down.
- William Roman
Edge staff
Andy Stitzer (Carell) is content with his solitary life. He plays video games by himself, karaokes by himself and has a vast collection of action figures, which he talks to. Andy works at an electronics store where his fellow employees talk about women and sex stories and he pretends to know what they are talking about. When he is finally invited to a poker game with the guys, he is then caught up in his act and they discover the truth; Andy is a 40-year-old virgin.
Andy's buddies are not perfect themselves. There is Davis (Paul Rudd) who is still in love with an ex-girlfriend he dated for three months and she is no longer interested in him. Jay (Romany Malco) has a girlfriend that he loves, but sees other women. Then there is Cal (Seth Rogen), whose advice leads to Andy talking in questions when trying to pick up women.
When Andy finally gets a phone number from Trish (Catherine Keener), a woman who owns a "We Sell Your Stuff on Ebay" store across the street from the electronic store, the guys advise Andy on how he needs to become experienced in the sex department before he does the "deed" with his new interest. They take him to speed dating, the bars, and the bookstore to ask out a very attractive worker. Andy knows he really likes Trish and wants to take her out, but he goes along with the guys' advice because they appear to be more knowledgeable than him.
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is fresh and original. It's a comedy that shows the embarrassing side of a middle-age man's virginity as something we can all relate to in our sexual lives. The movie also allows Carell a chance to test his acting talent and he succeeds, in bringing an embarrassing "problem" to light and humanizing it.
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is original with its comedy and gags about porn, homosexuality and hooking up with drunken girls. It is this year's best comedy, hands down.
- William Roman
Edge staff
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