Knocked Up
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007 16:36
The mismatched pair in Knocked Up
Directed by Judd Apatow, out Friday August 24th, in cinemas, starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, running time 129 mins .
In a nutshell…
A one-night-stand worth remembering
What's it all about?
When career-driven floor manager Alison (Katherine Heigl) gets promoted to a spot in front of the camera on celebrity network E!, she heads out to celebrate with highly strung older sister Debbie (Leslie Mann), only to somehow end up with chubby stoner Ben (Seth Rogen).
A forgotten prophylactic leads to a lifelong commitment and the mismatched pair are thrown into a terrifying world of doctor's appointments, responsibility and combining a budding pot habit with fatherhood.
Who's in it?
Probably best known for his support role in The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Seth Rogen cut his teeth on much-missed TV series Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared and is steadily building a reputation as Hollywood comedy's next big thing, much helped by his likeable turn here.
Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl never really had a cinematic career to be proud of, but puts in some stunning work, openly thrown by the prospect of the pregnancy and always sympathetic, even at her most hormonally-charged. Paul Rudd and Apatow's real-life wife Leslie Mann offer a scarily realistic portrayal of married life in the background, while Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and Martin Starr are on top form as Ben's deceptively amiable pothead buddies.
As an example…
"She's here with her sister?!? It's the dream!" - Jason Segel at his sleazy best.
"Marriage is like a tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond, only it doesn't last 22 minutes. It lasts forever." - Paul Rudd paints a lovely portrait of the life that awaits Ben.
"You wanna know who I want to get pregnant? Felicity Huffman. Ever since I saw Transamerica, I can't get her out of my head." - A confused Segel.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
While comedies are never going to get a fair look in at the major awards ceremonies, Apatow has actually done an admirable job in giving birth to what is in fact a warm, painfully honest romantic comedy as something more suited to the gross-out crowds (Rogen's casting should attract the Frat Pack fans). The 'A-Word' is never mentioned (the closest we get is Jonah Hill's allusion that it "rhymes with smushsmortion") which should please the more conservative of viewers and the soppiness at the movie's heart gives it a credibly diverse appeal, suitable for couples and stoners alike.
What the others say
"Judd Apatow's Knocked Up strikes me as an instant classic, a comedy that captures the sexual confusion and moral ambivalence of our moment" - AO Scott, New York Times
"Knocked Up touches places most comedies wouldn't dare, some of them scarily biological, some of them scarily accurate. It's the sleeper hit of the summer, but don't worry: it's much better than that." - Ian Nathan, Empire
So is it any good?
'Surprising' is the judgement that immediately springs to mind; it seems mind-boggling that the offspring of the Rogen-Apatow combination could have such a gentle, sweet core, with the bravery to shy away from too many predictable pregnancy jokes and to err towards a far more naturalistic, independent feel.
It might have slightly too Hollywood a premise - as nice a guy as Ben is, it's still a little hard to believe that Alison would be won over by him - but the rest is a beautifully observed, fantastically played study of what happens when life throws you a curveball. Rogen and Heigl are enjoyable, realistic leads, with enough chemistry that we root for their fledgling relationship to survive and with support from a fantastic cast (Rudd and Mann are outstanding), and a measured, moving script from Apatow, it's a wonderfully rounded, always hilarious and genuinely touching film. One of the best comedies of the year, maybe the decade.
9/10
Lewis Bazley
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