This Is 40, the latest effort from writer-director Apatow marks the first time that he’s revisited characters, in this case Pete and Debbie from his 2007 film Knocked Up.
Appearing first as supporting players in Knocked Up, Rudd and Mann’s characters take center-stage in this 1% version of a midlife crisis. Rudd’s vanity record label is struggling, Mann’s boutique has been embezzled from and Pete’s financially dependent father (Brooks) is too comfortable to stop asking for money. And this comes at the worst time as their marriage faces a stagnant routine and the possibility of having to sell their house, making them question their past history together and their future (yet there is no mention of selling Pete’s BMW or Debbie halting her private training sessions).
Yet, like all of Apatow’s films, there’s nothing that can’t be handled as long as you have a strong supporting cast of familiar faces, in this case Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Lena Dunham, Rob Smigel and Apatow regulars Jason Segel, Charlyne Yi, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd and daughters Maude and Iris Apatow.
Unfortunately, Apatow is too enamored with his actors, and many of their appearances bloat the film rather than add to it (if you don’t believe me, take a look at the 133 minute running time). The cast and performances are all solid, but from the outside looking in, it’s hard to empathize with the characters who at forty, seem to be nothing more than a few spoiled Yuppies who are selfish, entitled and bored. The film, does have it’s moments, and like most Apatow efforts, has some genuine laughs; unfortunately many of them feel very schticky at this point.
This Is 40 is a definite recommendation for Apatow fans (not that my review would sway them either way), but looking at it as a personal project for the filmmaker, you have to wonder if he should have worked out his issues of marriage in therapy rather than ask you for twelve bucks to watch it.
