It would be easy to believe that Judd Apatow was behind this raunchy-but-sweet comedy, with its abundant talk about sex and such, but the man actually had nothing to do with what ultimately feels like a lazy little brother to Knocked Up.
In that film people were shocked when overweight schlub Seth Rogen not only slept with a hot girl but got her pregnant, where as in this one friends and family are astonished when gangly and insecure Jay Baruchel starts dating a blonde hottie (Alice Eve).
I liked the self-confidence message the film tries to get across, and I really liked Eve. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but she makes her bombshell intelligent and human, someone who likes hockey and has her own self-doubts and reasons for being with Baruchel.
I also liked Baruchel’s work buddies, despite their foul mouths. There’s the good-looking one (Mike Vogel) who offers Baruchel advice, the seemingly naive, but married, one (Nate Torrence) who gets offered money just to swear, and the one in the middle (T.J. Miller) who still gets called his childhood nickname by his buddies. He’s the funniest of the bunch.
The film’s few attempts at being serious about the main idea–namely the scene that sees Baruchel and Eve arguing as they’re about to have sex–are interesting, too, but they get drowned out by all the raunch. Stuff like Baruchel shaving a certain, um, sensitive area, Eve giving Baruchel a private lap dance, and Vogel dropping trou in front of his pals to make a point.
What’s more, while I sympathized with Baruchel’s situation, including being part of what must be the world’s most embarrassing family, I never felt for Baruchel himself. He’s a little too whiny, a characteristic magnified by his being the lead. He should stick to supporting parts.
The protracted don’t-let-her-get-away finale doesn’t help, though it does feature the amusing sight of Baruchel fleeing from his shrewish ex-girlfriend (Lindsay Sloane). Even more amusing, and perhaps the film’s comedic high point, has to be Miller and his Hall & Oates cover band performing at a party. – [DVD]
Comedy/Romance
Rated R
DVD Release Date: 6/24/10
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