Movie Review: 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS (2002)
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002) – ***
Other than the Lenten promise of celibacy, 40 Days and 40 Nights has little to do with anything religious. In fact, the Church would probably ban it if given the choice. Still, the vulgar jokes making up most of the film don’t prevent 40 Days and 40 Nights from becoming a tender and romantic love story.
After a devastating breakup, Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) is tortured by the thought of each woman he sleeps with not being his ex-girlfriend. His roommate Ryan (Paul Costanzo) considers Matt’s promiscuous habits to be the solution, but they just don’t help with his fixation. After an intimate conversation with his brother, whom happens to be priest in training, Matt decides to give up sex and “all things sex like” for Lent. Nibbling, biting, touching, and masturbation are all no-nos.
Matt’s pact is put to the ultimate test when he meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon) in a laundromat. The two build a relationship without sex, and Matt finally starts to forget about his ex. When Erica finds out Matt’s self-inflicted dry spell has become worldwide Internet wager conceived by Matt’s dot COM coworkers, she leaves him out in the cold. The only way Matt can get Erica back is to finish the deal.
40 Days and 40 Nights may look like just another raunchy teen comedy. True the writers have an incredibly juvenile ability to make everything (even an omelet) sexual, but the blatantly crude humor is almost necessary in this film. Whether relying on Josh Hartnett’s erection or countless boob and masturbation jokes, the film’s extremely funny moments only make the romantic ones a little warmer.
Now, every moment in the film is not outstanding. The use of Viagra was obvious pandering to the normal teen romp audience. When a moment does stand out it usually stand’s out in a big way. Comedic scenes, like the faked male orgasm or a dinner discussion of Matt’s parents’ sex life, are side splitting and unforgettable. In contrast, the “immaculate orgasm” scene is sexy and passionate. It could easily become as memorable as Ghost‘s pottery wheel affair.
Like I said before, every scene in this movie is not outstanding. Most, however, don’t disappoint. The film’s trouble comes from Paul Costanzo’s roommate character. The roommate doesn’t do anything other characters in the film don’t do. His argument against the idea of celibacy is shades of Matt’s brother, his discovery of Matt’s ex’s engagement is already made by time he divulges it, and his humor is recycled from the dot COM workforce’s antics. Both unnecessary and unfunny, the roommate character is nothing more than a bad joke.
Excluding the roommate’s flop of an existence, the supporting cast is always funny and at times hilarious. The biggest casting attribute, however, is the pairing of the film’s two up-and-coming stars. Josh Hartnett intensifies his teen idol status with his hilarious, but charming performance. His costar Shannyn Sossamon also wins over the audience as the dazzling and loveable Erica. In only her second film, Sossamon is well on her way to becoming a leading lady of tomorrow. Together, the pair has the stunning chemistry needed to pull off a steamy scene like the “immaculate orgasm.”
It takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud in a movie theatre, and 40 Days and 40 Nights has it. Beyond the humor, the film also succeeds in telling one of the most endearing loves stories in years. Tasteless when it wants to be, but tactful when it needs to be, 40 Days and 40 Nights is the perfect film for the hopeless romantic who just happens to be a little demented.
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