Welcome to the world of Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell). Working as a technician at the local Smart Tech retail store, he’s pitiful and he’s resigned himself to it. His day consists of his job (to and from which he travels via bicycle) followed by a depressing series of events at his apartment which include, but are not limited to, figurine painting, one-man karaoke, action figure collection, and gaming with his souped-up dual-joystick gamer’s chair. He’s 17, right? Oh wait—no, he’s 40.
And it’s no surprise that he’s also a virgin. No one at the local store knew; sure, they always thought he was strange, occasionally entertaining thoughts that he might be a serial murderer, but a virgin? The horrible truth rears its head during a heated game of late-night poker where Andy was chosen as a stand-in for the fifth guy. During sexual adventure storytelling time, his uninspired lies about his sex life were amazingly passing for truth until he tried to describe the feel of a woman’s breast as “a bag of sand.” Whoops!
The Fast Track to “Sexually Active”
So his newly-acquired buddies at Smart Tech decide that they’ll do what any good bunch of friends would do—they’re going to help him find some you-know-what. This peanut gallery consists of Jay (Romany Malco), David (Paul Rudd), and Cal (Seth Rogan), all of whom have their own slightly different ideas about what it takes to get a man in bed with a woman, and all of whom also possess their own romantic idiosyncrasies. Jay is convinced that his current girlfriend is so sedentary that he can sleep around with few or no repercussions—after all, he’s patently against the concept of “putting the p**** on a pedestal.” David is still mentally stuck in his last relationship (though his former girlfriend, played by Mindy Kaling of The Office, has clearly moved on). And Cal is… well, Cal is Cal. The same pot-smoking, free-loading slob that we all know from the later Knocked Up. Needless to say, this isn’t the best lot of strategic advisors for the task.
And so what ensues is a pathetic yet endlessly amusing sequence of hook-ups and failed attempts at such which include drunk chicks (Jay swears that every guy’s DNA contains code that necessitates the chase of an intoxicated female), alcoholic chicks (who love to drive), and even his own boss. But perhaps his best bet is the slightly more mature owner of an eBay business, Trish (Catherine Keener), who is infinitely more experienced than he with regard to relationships.
Vulgarity and Stomachable Comedy: The Delicate Balance
This might be the first comedy I’ve ever seen that actually takes a stab at the difficulty of urinating with morning wood. Having said that, there exists a full range of crude minutiae in The 40 Year Old Virgin that is sure to turn off some of the more proper adult viewers. The younger crowd, on the other hand, will probably find much more in common with the group of jokers responsible for putting Andy in these awkward positions (complete with their uninhibited streaming of slang and profanity), and so they’ll surely take to the film with more unfettered enthusiasm. Besides, writer/director Judd Apatow has long displayed his affinity for off-color humor, but with a cap which includes such vivid feathers as Superbad, Anchorman, and The Critic, he’s earned his tenure with a sufficiently compensatory cache of color.
And let’s not forget Steve Carell’s involvement, which is not only limited to his well-played role as Andy, but also includes the task of co-writing the film. His success here effectively propelled his career to that of full-blown celebrity, thankfully still spearheaded by his character Michael Scott in the fantastic television sitcom The Office. The supporting cast in The 40 Year Old Virgin is also equally suited to their roles; perhaps most notably, Romany Malco (Jay) had me rolling with his typical racial hyperbole, and Seth Rogan (Cal) and Paul Rudd (David) deliver equally hilarious performances, all of whom are perfectly complementary in their characters. Finally, Catherine Keener (Trish) is the perfect pick for a psuedo-milf who is constantly battling the stigma of having three kids while trying to remain relevant on the dating scene… what type of man would want to date her?
Provided you’re prepared for the rampant crudity and unabashed smut therein, you’re sure to find this film positively hysterical. Apatow and Carell’s sexually-charged flick is permeated by just-smart-enough subject matter to preserve the viewer’s intelligence throughout the experience. It nails the balance between vulgarity and comedy in such a way that the viewer temporarily regresses to the Neanderthal mentality that underscores the subject matter—and thanks to that, it’s able to entertain without constantly invoking the typically-correlated revulsion. Put quite simply, it’s freaking hilarious, provided you’re able to suspend your maturity for a short while.
Extras
The 40 Year Old Virgin: Unrated includes both the unrated and theatrical versions of the film. The Unrated version is, predictably, longer and more vulgar, featuring a greater number of naked breasts and some extended dialogue with increased incidence of profanity. In addition to that, there is also a healthy collection of extras, though all of them are regrettably presented in 480i/p resolution. They’re accessible via Universal’s standard U-Control Blu-ray interface, which is generic but elegant and responsive nonetheless. You can watch them at any time during the film, which is a great touch. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect:
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Commentary with Judd Apatow, Steve Carell, and others – A delightfully natural and synergistic commentary track that includes all of the movers and shakers from the film.
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Deleted Scenes – Over a dozen scenes that didn’t make the final cut but are still sufficiently hilarious in their own right.
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You Know How I Know You’re Gay? – The classic scene from the film is extended here with optional commentary from the actors. By the way, you should really do away with that framed Asia poster.
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Date-a-Palooza – An extended version of the scene from the film where Carell and buddies partake in a speed-dating event.
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Line-O-Rama – An assortment of alternate dialogue, most seemingly improvised. Pretty funny stuff.
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The Waxing Doc – Steve Carell reminisces (heh) about how this scene was actually done naturally. Yuck!
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Judd’s Video Diaries – Apatow takes us through some of his experiences through the shooting and production of the film. His approach to the segment is hilarious.
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Auditions – Some footage from the auditions for the various roles.
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Raw Footage – Precisely as it sounds, this is raw footage from three of the scenes in the film. Much of it sounds as though it’s improvised, but that could simply be due to Apatow and Carell’s natural-feeling screenplay.
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Rehearsals – Here, we witness the aforementioned synergy between the members of the cast.
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Reel Comedy Roundtable – A promotional feature that originally aired on Comedy Central where several members of the most critical cast members discuss the production of the film.
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Cinemax Final Cut – This is a more structured conversation featuring Apatow, Carell, Rudd, and Rogen that focuses on their experiences during planning and shooting. It’s good for a viewing, but not as relaxed and unrefined as some of the other features.
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1970s Sex Ed Film – Heh. My wife and I enjoyed this thoroughly.
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My Dinner With Stormy – A short sequence that never made the film in either version. It’s short and sweet and entertaining.
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Gag Reel – A surprisingly short set of bloopers that is fun but curiously subpar.