Review
Knocked Up
- Director
- Judd Apatow
- Year
- 2007
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho
- Review date
- Monday, September 03, 2007
Even the premise is mundane: a one-night-stand leads to pregnancy and the unlikely couple goes through hilarious situations after deciding to keep the baby. But there’s constantly an edge that gives the proceedings an extra something.
Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is celebrating a promotion with her sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) at a nightclub, where she chances to meet Ben (Seth Rogen), an overweight screwball who’s been partying his whole life. There’s a click, and the rest has been told. Even this romance rings true. The morning after, when the guy wakes up, the girl’s already looking at him, evaluating her own actions, obviously disapproving of them and blaming the booze. They get breakfast and chat, and he turns out to be not only no Romeo, but the exact opposite. We’re as disappointed as she is. Much as we get the guy’s lifestyle and respect it, we understand the girl’s emotions and empathize with them. That’s how good the movie is. Even before the fun part has started, we’ve already connected to the characters, rooted for their romance, and felt disappointed at their early failure.
Then it’s time for the pregnancy. It’s been two months and Alison finds out. Her reactions are hilarious, and looking for the guy is a whole event. He’s getting high with his band of good-for-nothings, and her call means the possibility of more sex, probably even a b.j. By now, it’s like we’ve coped with the affair as much as Alison has: we have no hopes for this guy, don’t really want to see him again, and hope this uncomfortable pregnancy business is just a big misunderstanding. But fate forces Ben and Alison to meet again, and deal with the pregnancy that Alison has decided to go through with. And in the wake of being parents, they find the hope for romance. And all of a sudden, we’re all into Ben again.
I have no idea how Apatow does it, but he succeeds completely. We connect through and through. His script speaks so many truths that it has to be partly inspired by real-life experiences, but they’re translated to the screen flawlessly, and blended into a fun story. Furthermore, this is one of those films that understand both men and women precisely, which is always an asset in making a romantic tale credible.
There are two subplots going on at the same time. The significant one stars Debbie and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd), whose years-old marriage is getting rather rusty. They’re fun characters, as every other, but there’s no fun in their situation, and it’s an excellent complement to the relationship between Ben and Alison. Pete is an amazing character, and Rudd makes him even better: tired, fed-up, desperate for a relief valve, but still a loving husband and father.
The second subplot, which I would rather called a theme, or a background plot, or a subplot that works as a dressing, stars Ben’s friends (Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Charlyne Yi), a bunch of gross-out slackers. Seeing Ben alongside them makes him look quite good despite his flaws, which is, I believe, one of the intentions of showing us his friends so often. Otherwise, the guys are there for the laughs, even if sometimes they go too far, and give the film most of its crude comedy bits that help relieve the tension from the plot’s hardest moments. Yet, sometimes the film drags a bit with them onscreen, as it does some other times. No big deal, because these guys are hilarious, and their stuff has its values.
As for the leads, they’re unmatchable. Even though they’re indeed a mismatch, they share a lot of chemistry, and seamlessly so. Lovely Heigl gets a lot of the sentimental stuff, and she pulls it off all right, but it’s Rogen who carries the greater load, as his character evolves and wins us over once and again. He’s outstanding.
One of the year’s best!
“Never do what they did.”
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Review
Knocked Up
- Director
- Judd Apatow
- Year
- 2007
- Rating
- Reviewed by
- José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris
- Review date
- Thursday, December 27, 2007
Sassy Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) gets a promotion at Channel E! to appear as an on-camera reporter. That night she parties with her sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and after a few drinks too many ends up in bed with unemployed, chubby Ben (Seth Rogen). A few months later she finds out she’s pregnant and they both decide to give their relationship a try, just as Debbie and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd) are going through a rough patch.
Apatow served as producer, director and writer. His touch is all over the place, and even his actors belong to his usual gang. I’ve got to say that these faces are way fresher and funnier than the Ferrell-Stiller-Wilson-Vaughn combo that was so hot for a while, but it’s not only them, but Apatow’s writing and direction that make of it such an enjoyable ride. This isn’t a laugh-out-loud yarn as I though it would be, it’s actually a warm and somewhat truthful slice-of-life which feels honest and truly gets us involved. And which is, yes, funny, but in a more restrained and intelligent manner.
I absolutely loved how Apatow juxtaposes the stories of two people trying desperately to fall in love with that of two people continually struggling with their marriage. The latter isn’t a mere subplot thrown in there to add laughs, it’s actually a grounded portrait of what years of life together can do to a couple. I also loved that there’s no easy answers or a tidy ending to it; life is just not like that. This mish mash proves a fair and insightful contrast to very different stages of love, when everything is new and exciting and when everything is old and monotonous. Interesting way to present the story…
Sillier moments come in the form of Ben’s friends and their goings-on. These guys are up to no good, but they’re there for each other and that’s what matters to them. They also border on a thin line by which a bit more would’ve been over-the-top, but Apatow keeps it easy-going and the vibe remains low-key for the most part.
A few downsides are the bits involving gynecologists, the trip to Las Vegas (except the room chat) and a tendency to drag at times, something that makes the movie feel overlong. A few upsides are a confession from a club’s doorman, a self-parody by Ryan Seacrest and most of the witty dialogue involving pop culture references.
Seth Rogen, who had mostly done supporting roles before this breakthrough opportunity, is excellent as Ben and he’s sure to become the next big thing if he chooses wisely. He has an everyday quality to him that makes him relatable and he’s got the charisma as well. Katherine Heigl, on the other hand, is mostly good and gorgeous, but also stiff at times; I’m a big fan but I need more proof that she’s got what it takes to command a movie career. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are both spot-on as the troubled couple and their comedic timing is excellent. Supporting performances from Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Jason Begel and many more are good, although Harold Ramis’s acting leaves a lot to be desired.
“Their smiling faces point out my inability to enjoy life.”
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