Review of This Is 40 (2012) by Marcdoyle — 29 Dec 2012

I agree with much of bl_nk's review, but I'll add that it's very long, but I never felt that it was too long or that I wanted it to end. It almost felt like a full season of Parenthood (though much funnier) crammed into 5 episodes.

Most of the black humor resonated with me in particular - I noticed that I was often the only one laughing (hard) among the 20 or so people seeing the late, late show with me. My primary criticism is that it might have bitten off a BIT more than it could chew in terms of subplots and storylines.

But Rudd and Mann are just flat-out funny. And I appreciate the basic honesty of the story. Apatow's kids are also excellent in their roles. Albert Brooks may have been a bit too strong for the film - he stole his scenes to the extent that he pulled focus away from the rest of the movie.

So yes, the film employed a bit of a buckshot approach and was a touch unfocused, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.