40 Year Old Virgin
May. 11th, 2006 07:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zalena I rented 40 Year Old Virgin last night, as it was dollar night. It was really long, and not particularly funny, though the male aggression was well written. Such as conversations involving long variations of "Fuck you!" Also the distressing litany of, "You know how I knew you were gay...?" I honestly haven't been exposed to so much use of homosexuality as an insult since a high school. I found myself hoping that the two characters who did it most would actually turn out to be gay.
But as this was a movie celebrating heterosexual sex, it was not the case. The movie goes through some acrobatics of Shakespearean proportions to get them all matched with someone by the end of the movie.
The worst part is that while it was ostensibly satire, almost all the characters could have been real. Men really do talk about women and sex. They also talk to each other that way. It made me feel sad.
Even the 40-Year-Old is more realistic than initially portrayed. He says something like, "It just got to be so long, there didn't seem much point to keep trying." As a temporarily celibate person, I can relate. It takes a lot of energy to get back in the game.
The scene I thought was most funny was when 40-Year-Old says, "I have a very fulfilling life." They then show a photo montage of him marching around his apartment with a baritone, painting figurines, and playing video games." THAT made me laugh. I think my life would look equally ridiculous if people could see what I get up to when I'm alone.
It was a very strange film, because it went some interesting places before ending with socially normative heterosexual relationship. They wait until marriage. It ends up being good. They do a musical number. Ah, what a relief, we're back in the movies, this has no actual relation to real life.
("You're trying to change me!" he yells at the woman.
"I'm not trying to change you, I'm trying to help you grow up!" she says.
Uh, wouldn't that be change? And what's so wrong with him in the first place? He has a job. He lives on his own. He talks to his neighbors. He's a little socially isolated, but basically a okay guy.)
Anyway, a very odd film. I think it says more about our times than I would like to admit. It will be interesting to see how it looks in another 10 or 20 years.
But as this was a movie celebrating heterosexual sex, it was not the case. The movie goes through some acrobatics of Shakespearean proportions to get them all matched with someone by the end of the movie.
The worst part is that while it was ostensibly satire, almost all the characters could have been real. Men really do talk about women and sex. They also talk to each other that way. It made me feel sad.
Even the 40-Year-Old is more realistic than initially portrayed. He says something like, "It just got to be so long, there didn't seem much point to keep trying." As a temporarily celibate person, I can relate. It takes a lot of energy to get back in the game.
The scene I thought was most funny was when 40-Year-Old says, "I have a very fulfilling life." They then show a photo montage of him marching around his apartment with a baritone, painting figurines, and playing video games." THAT made me laugh. I think my life would look equally ridiculous if people could see what I get up to when I'm alone.
It was a very strange film, because it went some interesting places before ending with socially normative heterosexual relationship. They wait until marriage. It ends up being good. They do a musical number. Ah, what a relief, we're back in the movies, this has no actual relation to real life.
("You're trying to change me!" he yells at the woman.
"I'm not trying to change you, I'm trying to help you grow up!" she says.
Uh, wouldn't that be change? And what's so wrong with him in the first place? He has a job. He lives on his own. He talks to his neighbors. He's a little socially isolated, but basically a okay guy.)
Anyway, a very odd film. I think it says more about our times than I would like to admit. It will be interesting to see how it looks in another 10 or 20 years.
