FILM
14 www.guestlist.net
Issue 48 / 2013
THIS IS 40
In a suspiciously wise move, This Is 40 never attempts to
position its central couple – Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie
(Leslie Mann) – as being to Knocked Up what Jack and Karen
were to Will & Grace.
While their own, more subdued subplot
conveyed an earthy charm, one may
struggle to imagine a roomful of
cinemagoers debating the fate of Debbie's
semen-drenched towels on the car journey
home.
If the original Ben/Alison storyline was your
typical exploration of reluctant love, then
Pete and Debbie served as a stark warning
of what was to come post-honeymoon.
That sense of realism is carried over to
this 'sort-of' sequel, as we check in on the
happy(ish) couple a few years on. Rogan
and Heigl are MIA, but in their place we
have worries of the financial kind, school
bullies, dysfunctional grandparents, and
Megan Fox hawking dresses at Debbie's
boutique. What keeps desolation at bay
is some vibrant cinematography and
Apatow's impressively subtle script.
Though perhaps robbed of a few belly
laughs in the name of tonal consistency,
the director maintains a peppy tone
throughout, and ensures appearances from
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Jason
Segal result in some corking moments.
Meanwhile, his own daughters Maude and
Iris make a welcome a return as Pete and
Debbie's sprogs.
Considering Mann is also Apatow's wife,
there is something quite comfortable
about This Is 40, although that's not to say
it lacks bite. It's a film that deftly probes our
expectations of marriage, confronting that
moment we realise that maybe this is the
reality.