Judd Apatows fourth directorial effort features the hallmarks weve come to expect from the contemporary filmmaker several laugh-out-loud moments, poignancy tinged with cynicism and a runtime thats about 20 minutes too long.
In what is billed as a sort of sequel to the directors hit Knocked Up, This Is 40 examines the life of married couple Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann, Apatows real-life wife) as they deal with hitting their respective milestone birthdays while balancing the pressures of raising two daughters (the director and Manns actual children).The film is a more mature outing than previous efforts; we see the real-life constraints begin to mount on all sides as the family contends with everything from absentee dads to dwindling finances to keeping the spark alive in a marriage.
In fact, This Is 40 may bite off more than it can chew from the narrative tangents as things begin to feel tedious around the two hour mark. However, the movie is full of enough heart, one-liners, pop culture references and fine acting to satisfy even the toughest comedic critic. Rudd and Mann are in top form and play off each other beautifully, both with hilarious and heartbreaking results; but, as good as the two leads are here, they are nearly overshadowed by a scene-stealing Albert Brooks (Petes father) who displays both acerbic wit and expert timing.
This Is 40 isnt a groundbreaking film but does prove that the Apatow camp still knows how to push the right buttons.
