Judd Apatow has been on a blockbuster bender and Knocked Up (which I declared the Best Comedy Movie of 2007) further cements the director as the person who has the most insight in real men. This movie portrays childish men at their best: the main character played by Seth Rogen and his friends are as childish as they come, watching movies all the time counting all the nude scenes in them, either drunk and/or high, and no jobs. If they are not the epitome of slacking, I don’t know what is.
On the other hand, Alison Scott (played by Katherine Heigl) is a career-driven woman who knows what she wants. When one night at the club goes horribly wrong, and they have fairly graphic & unprotected sex, Alison discovers she’s pregnant. Defying all expectations, she decides to keep the baby (maybe she’s Catholic?), and Ben must deal with the entire 9 months of pregnancy and the resulting baby. Of course the word "abortion" isn’t uttered even once in this movie, which would be the most realistic conclusion that both of these characters could reach. After all, would you really want your baby’s father to be this unemployed guy who is probably unfit to be a father in the first place?
Anyways, once you get over this absurd choice by the characters, the comedic genius of Judd Apatow shines through. Dialogs are sharply written, and most characters feel realistic and their problems can be found in countless married and unmarried couples in the world. Dealing with pregnancy is an emotional rollercoaster for both mother and father, and the movie portrays it in the accurate way. Unfortunately women characters aren’t fully fleshed out as the guy characters, but nonetheless this vulgar and sometimes graphic comedy has tender moments where Ben and Alison come to terms with their situations, and Ben and his future brother-in-law reveal each other’s emotional troubles while high on mushrooms.
This is clearly the best romantic comedy of the year, and surprisingly, it is not a traditional chick flick. Take that as how you will: what remains is the movie can be enjoyed by almost anyone regardless of gender and age as it chronicles something that most of us has gone through, or will go through (unless you opt for contraceptives and abortions).
Rating: 85%
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