This is Forty

Movie:  This is Forty
Major Actors: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd
Rating: R
Best Audience: Adults only

Review:

I am starting to get sick of all the fighting in Judd Apatow films (Apatow is the director).  This movie is supposed to be based on Apatow's life.  The wife and two kids in the film are Apatow's actual wife and two kids.  In an interview, Apatow said he loves fighting.  That is very apparent.  It makes me wildly uncomfortable.  I know it is real.  He sought to portray a real marriage and marriage has fighting.  However, you don't go to the movies to see a "comedy" because you want to see something "real."  You go to be entertained.  If you wanted something that feels real, you'd go to see Flight or Zero Dark Thirty.  The more I see the movie Knocked Up (to which this movie is supposed to be the sequel), the more I don't like it.  This movie is a lot like Knocked Up in that there are many funny moments, but they are dispersed between very uncomfortable moments of a lot of fighting.  I'm sure a lot of people admire that aspect of the two movies, but personally, I just don't care for it. 

Unusually enough, the funniest part of this movie occured during the credits!  Melissa McCarthy, who is in every other movie lately, was hilarious as an angry mother at odds with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann).  She had a scene where she was yelling at them in the principal's office, and during the credits, it showed the outakes.  McCarthy did not break character at all as she yelled at them while they could not stop laughing. 

On DVD - Friends With Kids

I am going to start reviewing some movies that are at the video store on DVD.  I wasn't going to do this at first, but now I think I will. 

Movie: Friends With Kids
Major Actors: Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Whig, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox, Edward Burns
Rating: R
Best Audience: This is a good date movie, especially for married couples, maybe not for dating couples.

Review:

This movie says a lot about what having kids does to a couple's relationship.  The lead two characters want to avoid the relationship pitfalls that come with having children, so they decide to have a child together while trying to keep their relationship platonic.  This is complete with awkward and uncomfortable moments that actually made me hide my eyes a few times because it was so embarrassing. 

The main couple is played by Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt.  Their chemistry is great in this movie, but I had  HUGE PROBLEM with Jennifer Westfeldt's speech.  Half of the time, you couldn't understand anything she was saying because she mumbled!  I thought actors were supposed to be articulate!  Kristen Whig played it straight in this movie, playing wife to Jon Hamm's character, who was a total jerk to her.  It was interesting to see her play such a dramatic role, but I am a huge fan of Kristen Whig and think she can do anything.  Chris O'Dowd (who played the cop in Bridesmaids) is also in this movie, and he was sort of the "comic relief," with spot on comedic delivery. 

I liked the movie.  Like I said, it is good for married couples, but if you are just dating, it is probably too serious and may make your partner uncomfortable.  The thing that I didn't like was that the big "movie moment" at the end was kind of ruined by obscene language.  I don't mind obscene language in movies, but not in the big epic ending!  I just feel like that kind of language doesn't have a place in that moment and kind of ruined the sweet, romantic mood.