40 Days and 40 Nights

Rating:
Summary: Saint Turned Sinner
Review: The premise for the film 40 Days And 40 Nights sounded like it might have enough laughs to be worth a rental. Besides I was a bit curious to see how star Josh Hartnett would be in his first comedy. It's sort of like seeing a car wreck on the side of the road, you can't help but look. It also helped that I have always liked the dark comedy Heathers, which was made by the film's director Michael Lehmann

Following a nasty break up with his longtime girlfriend Nicole, (Vinessa Shaw), Matt Sullivan (Hatnett), vows to give up sex of any kind for lent. His friends (Adam Trese and Paulo Costanzo) are so convinced that he wont be able to do it, they start betting on how soon he might crack. Things prove more difficult for Matt, when he meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon), and is instantly taken with her.

One of the things that I really like about most movies by Michael Lehmann,is his ability to balance comedy, with a bit of bitting social commentary about our times. The script, from Robert Perez has none of that, insead going for the cheap sex joke, that we've heard many times before in better films than this. The other downer for me is Hartnett, who is miscast here, as guy under pressure. He doesn't seem to have any of that comic spark as the lead. The best perfomances in the film for me, come instead, from Sossamon and the always reliable Griffen Dunne.

The DVD has limited extras, which in the end, is probably a good thing. There's a rather lackluster audio commentary track with Lehmann, Producer Michael London and Perez. It also has the theatrical trailer, but that's it.

A 2 star effort. Let the buyer/rentor beware.

Rating:
Summary: Ignore the professional reviewers/critics
Review: I've found the greater amount of movies disappoint me, but Josh Hartnett has proven himself to be one of the rare actors of Hollywood, who takes risks and can laugh at himself. This movie was upbeat, snappy writing, although not as hyperactive as "The Gilmore Girls" and moved at a great pace, not too slow, not too fast. I laughed out loud often, along with the rest of the audience.
The theme exposes how young, hip, single men look at thier own sexual needs as opposed to how we woman view sex. A handsome hunk who apparently has no problems attracting woman, Josh's character is carrying around self-imposed sexual performance baggage after being dumped by a longtime girlfriend. His humorous, Catholic roots influence his choice to vow to 40 days of total sexual abstinance for Lent, in an attempt to once again attain control over his "issues".
I thought Hartnett and his co-stars did a terrific job of portraying the real but laughable status of men's basic sexual

needs/desires. This plot plays on the recent study that revealed how men think about sex every few moments. Yes, LOTS of guys watch porn, read Playboy and gratify themselves. This is no secret, and certainly easier to hear mention of than the perversions portrayed in so many other movies.
Unknown to him at first, Hartnett's co-workers and friends take the abstinance ball and run with it as a sub plot, while we watch Josh start to suffer. Throw in a tempting and available new love interest to test his will and the sexual tension heats up.
I found this movie far less offensive than most of the regularly available crud on prime time TV and more tame than you might expect, in terms of sexuality, language etc. Each character was developed enough to make the viewer believe them.
I suppose you could call this a guy movie, but any of us women who have lived with a man, will recognize the dilemma and actions of the main character and his cohorts.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid Movie.
Review: This is one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen. I can't believe that Josh agreed to do this film. I can't believe I paid so much money to see it. I can't believe I actually sat through the whole thing. Stay away from this one. It's not worth time or money.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good.
Review: I was fairly dubious when a friend of mine asked me to go and see '40 days and 40 nights' with her. I figured she was there for Josh and the film would essentially be a vessel to appeal to the teenage-girl market. However the film pleasantly surprised me; it was witty, not overly gross and Josh Hartnett possessed comic poise.

The film's premise is really quite simple, Matt (Hartnett), a man whose been living a fairly vacuous life filled with romantic disappointment and meaningless sex decides the only way to get over his ex Nicole is to become celibate for a period of 40 days, coinciding with lent. However this proves to be very difficult as Matt falls for Erica (Shannon Sossamon) at the Laundromat. Compounded with this is every woman trying to break his vow, and every man betting on the day he'll break his celibacy.

What makes the film so funny is the series of ridiculous situations Matt finds himself in. Whilst this film is essentially one 90 minute long sex joke, it really does work. Unlike other teenpics ('American Pie', 'Road Trip') '40 days and 40 nights' has a slightly more classy approach to sex. Shock value is used at a bare minimum, and when it is it's pretty much unneeded. It is only these few moments that makes the film fall into cliched realms at times, but it is otherwise good.

Josh Hartnett is truly funny in this film. His embodiment of the slow demise of a man who is kept from sex is very funny. It was a gamble to do comedy for a man who is known for two epic war films ('Pearl Harbor', and 'Black Hawk Down'). Everyone must agree that the movement from war films to comedy is like mixing oil and water; but it works seamlessly. Other than Josh the supporting cast are all very funny, the betting scenes in particular are hilarious.

'40 days and 40 nights' is a very welcome and impressive film. Slightly more intelligent that the standard teenpic, but not intelligent enough to stop it being escapist, essentially low brow comedy. This is not only a base teenpic comedy, but also a romantic comedy. For a teenage audience the girls will love it for Josh, and the guys will love it for the girls who tempt him; and if you don't like films purely for face value '40 days and 40 nights' is a proficient comedy.

Rating:
Summary: A Hilarious Take on Abstinence
Review: Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) is a web developer working San Francisco who had the woman of his dreams -- a woman so hot, in fact, that even the "Bagel Guy" talks about her. Perfect, until she broke his heart. Now Matt can't sustain even the shortest of relationships without suffering panic attacks.

Things get worse when the all-knowing "Bagel Guy" reveals that his ex-girlfriend is now engaged to her yuppy corporate executive boyfriend of two weeks. Faced with this recent escalation of his personal tragedy, Matt finds himself desperate to get over his ex-girlfriend and be able to move on. His priest-in-training older brother is little help and Matt is suddenly struck by a possible solution: he'll give up sex and all physical intimacy for 40 days.

His roommate (Paulo Costanzo, "Road Trip") thinks he's insane and when his web-development co-workers find out they secretly start a betting pool on how long he'll actually hold out. When the geeks start tracking the results on the Internet, the pool climbs into the thousands and suddenly everyone is trying to influence the outcome.

Faced with gorgeous co-workers trying to seduce him in the supply room and other temptations, Matt finds himself taking refuge in the laundromat. That's when he meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon, "A Knight's Tale") a woman unlike any he has met and the first woman he's had any real feelings for since his ex-girlfriend. The problem is that she doesn't know about the vow -- yet.

Just as things start really working with Erica and as he enters his final week, Matt's ex-girlfriend shows up at his door and turns up the heat even more. With the clock ticking, the bets rising, the temptations growing more enticing, the saboteurs working, his relationship with Erica growing, his hormones raging and his ex-girlfriend pursuing him -- the question of whether or not Matt will be able to hold out is the one on everyone's mind.

This movie is a hilarious romp through one guy's most desperate attempt to let go of the woman who broke his heart and take charge of his future. It is a trendy and humorous perspective on abstinence and is probably one of the funniest movies I've seen since "Road Trip". I'd definitely watch this movie again and plan to buy it on DVD when it is available.

Rating:
Summary: Sexist, dunderheaded, unfunny, and completely abysmal!!!
Review: I went to see this movie with a group of friends when it was new in the theatres. From what I had already seen and heard, I had already labelled it as an absolute atrocity! Well, in that respect, I certainly wasn't dissapointed! This film is incredibly sexist, unintelligent, juvenile, and everything you'd imagine a teen sex comedy to be. I really cannot think of any other movie that is as much of an extreme waste of time as this one is.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is terrible.
Review: Unless you're 15 years old, you'll think this movie is terrible. It is. Totally.
You might ask yourself "why is Beth going to go ahead and give it 2 stars if its so terrible?" I'll tell you why. Shannon Whatsername is hot, and almost makes watching this movie bearable. Watch ten minutes, pleasure yourself, and then return to your day.

Rating:
Summary: Farce doesn't live up to its potential
Review: This farcical romantic comedy seems stymied by not knowing exactly to whom it is appealing. It is both sophmoric and sophisticated, juvenile and adult, blatant and subtle. It's as though the heads of the distributing company kept butting in and the people actually making the movie kept rolling over. The result is a compromise.

The movie is fitfully funny. The acting is fine, considering the script contortions the players are asked to deal with.

There are scenes in "40 Days and 40 Nights" which indicate what it was originally supposed to be - an adult comedy that might not appeal to today's target audience of overfed, but intellectually underfed teens. These moments are funny and well-timed. But then the movie draws back, as if being original might somehow not be commercially correct.

The cast is likeable. The pace is brisk. The movie is professionally done. Yet, one suspects that there was a much better movie to be had here, if only the powers that be had been smart enough to just let go, to let its creators do their thing.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is terrible.
Review: Unless you're 15 years old, you'll think this movie is terrible. It is. Totally.
You might ask yourself "why is Beth going to go ahead and give it 2 stars if its so terrible?" I'll tell you why. Shannon Whatsername is hot, and almost makes watching this movie bearable. Watch ten minutes, pleasure yourself, and then return to your day.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Josh Harnett is awesome in this movie he looks great and his acting ain't to bad either. He plays this guy who gives up sex for a whole 40 days and nights to get over his long term girlfriend Nicole. His plan is easily thrown off by a girl he meets at the laundry mat named Erica they began to fall in love and Matt's(Harnett)will power is tested.