Rating: 7/10
Released: February 2013
Certificate: 15
Directors: Judd Apatow
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Jason Segel, Megan Fox, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann.
Summary: Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are a couple who are both approaching milestone of 40 (hence the title) and the film takes a comical look inside the life of this American family who have problems with financial troubles, aging parents and their kids who are maturing fast.
In This Is 40, it is highlighted that not having sex is a brutally real experience when it comes to being 40 and it also represents many of the truths in family life such as the love hate relationship between the kids and the worry about health and trying not to look your age but with a comical spin placed upon it.
Image: Pete’s Friend and Pete.
The family of Paul Rudd who plays Pete are themselves cast within this film his wife Leslie Mann playing Debbie and his two daughters Maude and Iris Apatow playing Sadie and Charlotte. This is the mix that helps makes the film enjoyable and realistic.
The opening scene is the couple having sex in the shower before Pete spoils the moment by saying he has taken viagra, which leads to him having a rant at Debbie how his manhood does not work as well as it use to. Debbie then is then angry as she takes it as an attack on her appearance. A similar theme runs throughout the film with pointless squabbles between the couple arising frequently. Other problems begin to emerge after this as the audience find out that Pete’s company is failing financially, Debbie is pregnant with the couple’s third child and that money is going missing at Debbie’s company. It’s these problems over the three week period that the film is set in which gives us the storyline to the film. Megan Fox further builds this comedy with her man-magnet persona with the typical American personal trainer and Pete’s work colleague trying to fight for her love.
Image: Debbie’s work colleague and Debbie.
It’s an easy watch film that is targeted at a middle-aged audience who will be lifted by its humour and will be able to relate to many of the situations that are arise within the film. The reasons I marked it down is the fact that it does drag at parts and it has a poor ending.