Report Card---"This Is 40"

"This Is 40" is the sequel to Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up"
I never saw "Knocked Up", but it really isn't necessary to have seen "Knocked Up" to
derive whatever there is to derive out of "This Is 40"
This is a movie that for me, starts out cold, and warms up nicely as you continue with it.
It begins as shrill.
It stays shrill for roughly the first 40 minutes. (Hence, the title?)
It's very difficult to like either Paul Rudd or Leslie Mann, the forty-ish couple
that the movie is about.
But once you warm up to them, which you do, the movie becomes significantly more
engaging.
It's basically about why people marry each other, and why they stay married, through
thickness and thinness.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

It's never boring.
A.

Compelling even?

Not really.
C-.

Is it controversial?

There are issues dealt with that might be considered controversial, but not very.
B-.

Is it a story worth telling?

I suppose.
B.

Is it good storytelling?

The early shrillness is perhaps unnecessary.
B-.

Is it well written?

The dialogue is quite good.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?, Well shot?

I told you what I thought of the two leads, but there are two wonderful supporting
turns by Albert Brooks and John Lithgow as the couple's fathers.
There is nothing significant one way or another about the way it's shot.
B.

Is it too long? Too short?

The length is quite suitable.
A.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and yes.
B+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

Not really predictable, and not unsurprising.
A.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Not a lot.
B-.

Is it funny?

Quite often.
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Not to me.
D.

Is it impressive ?

Only in corralling Brooks and Lithgow.
B.

Overall grade: B.

I could have gone my entire life without seeing this film, but the highlights made me glad that I did.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******