Knocked Up
When I found out Judd Apatow was writing/directing another film (after his spectacular 40-year old Virgin) I was eagerly awaiting it. Then my car got totaled and not a single one of my wonderful friends would bum me a ride to the theatre for Knocked Up. So alas, I had to wait for the dvd.
My main issue is just that, however. Its supposedly an “extended/unrated cut” which I wasn’t very enthused about. 40-y/o’s dvd was an extended cut too and it was by far inferior to the theatrical cut. And there’s no option for the original cut, so you’re stuck with an already long (by comedy standards) film with some gross pacing issues. (The theatrical cut of 40y/o tho is flawless. I had to DVR it off of HBO, hopefully they show Knocked up too, just for measure.)
Now, because the dvd cut is my only experience with this movie, I can only imagine what kind of stuff was cut (and I’m betting I’m right.) The pacing isn’t quite as bad as 40y/o, but there’s usually 2 or 3 ho-hum jokes in a scene for each singular hilarious scene-stealing joke (even if its still a pot or dick joke.)
So, enough with the bitching about the dvd ver which may or may not be inferior to the theatrical cut I didn’t see. What about the story? Well, like any Apatow production (besides the aforementioned film: Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared) it’s the three “r’s”: its “real,” it’s “right,” and its “runderful.” I particularly thought it was interesting how he keeps you off-balance to who you should be feeling for, Seth Rogan’s character, Ben, or Alison, played by Katherine Hiegl. This can often be a hard and fast sign of shitty writing, but here I think its executed on the money, while still maintaining that Ben is the unequivocal protagonist. Having a baby (in the situation presented in the movie) is definitely a two-person journey (and is justified.) I think Judd also properly justifies why Alison would even humor a relationship with a man like Ben. At first the subplot involving Paul Rudd seemed, while great, completely distant from the plot. But then it blindsides you and does…what a subplot is supposed to do, make the story work!
Judd Apatow certainly knows whats funny, and also knows how tell a story. Sure, sometimes we have to put the story in pause to tell a few jokes (much worse in 40y/o than here though) but his stories always come in for the win. While I still honestly cant give Knocked Up the edge on 40 year old Virgin, it’s certainly one you shouldn’t skip on.
I give it a Cat Stevens out of a possible Yuusef Islam.