This is 40

Review by Matt Finley

Judd Apatow has his fingers planted in so many pop cultural pies, it’s easy to overlook the fact that, directorially, his output is far less prolific than his production credits. THIS IS 40, his fourth film overall, and first since 2009’s FUNNY PEOPLE, returns to the tumultuous marriage of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann), who originally appeared in KNOCKED UP as a perpetually squabbling married couple.

Though the film is neither tonally nor topically surprising, pairing Apatow’s usual mix of raunchy improvisation and scripted pathos with situational comedy torn from every “take my wife/husband… please” bit ever written, what is surprising is how well it works. Comedically, mid-life crises, flagging sex lives, and parenting foibles are well-worn to the point of forming ruts. 40, like all of Apatow’s best work, manages to balance these ubiquitous banalities with an acknowledgement of the sublime rage, sadness and joy that come along with them, eschewing typical mechanical catharsis in favor of realer, messier (though, sometimes, just as sappy) emotional conflict.

This Is 40

By Pamela Zoslov

If this is 40, Judd Apatow, give me 37. Or 65 and a half. Just don't let me be the age at which you're a spoiled, affluent suburban couple screaming and whining about Viagra, hemorrhoids and mortgage payments while driving your deluxe BMW and cavorting at a pricey resort.

That the same Judd Apatow who gave us brilliant episodes of The Larry Sanders Show in the '90s and the endlessly hilarious KNOCKED UP is responsible for the unendurable THIS IS 40 is both baffling and depressing. Either Apatow never was as clever as we thought, or more likely, success – as a writer, director and head of his own production company – has compromised his talent. According to a recent New York Times profile of Apatow, THIS IS 40, about the travails of middle-aged marrieds and featuring his real-life wife and children, is semi-autobiographical. If that's so, Apatow must live the shallowest life imaginable. In tackling this subject matter, Apatow doesn't need to be Cassavetes or Bergman – he just has to be funny. THIS IS 40 is sour, strident and decidedly unfunny.