This is 40.

It's a Saturday night and I'm getting over some weird upper respiratory/bacterial infection thing that's been lingering around since before the new year. So, I decided what way to spend my Saturday night than going to see Judd Apatow's new comedy This is 40 starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. I'm glad I did because it made me laugh and was a relaxing way to spend my evening.

No, this comedy is not for everyone. It's geared towards middle to upper-middle class, upwardly mobile modern day professionals that are in or remember what it was like to be in a long term, committed relationship...with or without children. What do I mean by that? The humor doesn't really cater to everyone. A lot of the issues, for instance the money issues that the family faces aren't going to resonate with everyone. It could be tough to sympathize with the character's plight regarding money when they are driving around in a BMW lamenting failed business ventures. The premise of the movie however is simple; A look into a married couple's life circa the 40 year birthday mark. Don't expect anything ground breaking or anything that is going to teach you a lesson about how to make it to 40 and still be married. For all intents and purposes, the couple in this movie shouldn't really be together...but, somehow, they find a way to make it work and at the end of the day, a combination of how long they have been together and their mutual love for their dysfunctional dynamic seems to be what gets them by. Some couples fight like cats and dogs, hate that they fight like cats and dogs and fix things or eventually split up. Other couples do the same thing but somehow thrive off of the fighting and despite the endless cycle of ups and downs are able to successfully work as a couple. As much as it may seem like this couple is headed for divorce, they just aren't. This is a marriage that will find a way to work. Even if 25% of the time they want to stab each other to death.

A relationship & life comedy for him & her.

Looking to this film to do anything other than casually entertain is probably why about half of the people who see it enjoy it and the other half come out feeling empty handed. The comedy is raucous and often times laugh out loud funny. It's entertaining to watch the family dynamic and I'm sure that many people will feel familiar 'I've been there before' moments watching the couple in question battle it out. There of course is a lot of swearing, per the usual Apatow production, no surprise there so it should definitely be something that is not viewed around the kids. Additionally, there is some nudity and of course references to all sorts of sexual bits and pieces. Again, standard fare for anything Apatow. Ultimately, this is an excuse to watch two people in an imperfect relationship love and hate each other and find one another in funny situations. The supporting cast, especially the amazing Melissa McCarthy is very entertaining to watch. Megan Fox has seemed to embrace being written into films with shallow supporting roles that allow her sexuality to be both made fun of and showcased. Leslie Mann is brilliant as a riddled with Daddy issues, type A control freak who's just trying to get happy. All in all I would recommend this movie for a date night on the couch, away from children. Use it as an excuse to curl up with the person you love and laugh at the small stuff instead of constantly sweating it.

Cheers & Happy Weekend!