Knocked Up

Comedy films seem to come in waves, like any form of entertainment the shifts come about generally from the success of one specific film, that then influences countless others. The biggest recent example of this is the whole American Pie subgenre of gross-out teen comedies, which unfortunately still run on to this day. Invariably the efforts that follow the original are uninspired and markedly similar, studios cashing in rather than catching on. Luckily Knocked Up does not follow this pattern.

Following on from director Judd Apatow’s 40 Year old Virgin, which was a surprise hit in 2005 Knocked Up follows in the same vein as its predecessor, mixing realistic, often crude, depictions of friends and relationships with a real heart and message. It seems a simple formula but it’s really one of the hardest things to do, to match up an interesting and crafted story whilst maintaining the humour and integrity of your characters. The humour in the film derives from reality, conversations, exchanges and conventions, rather than playing on these for cheap laughs and slapstick. By removing many of the easy tools for creating laughs the team have had to work hard to up the quality of the whole film, imbuing it with the right amount of emotion, whilst maintaining its funny bone.

Of course all this is easier when you have the likes of Seth Rogan taking centre stage, relatively unknown before Virgin he has with this and the upcoming Superbad become a bona-fide star. He is constantly engaging, hilarious and really helps ground the film. His Ben is far from perfect, but never unlikeable as he deals with the repercussions from a one-night stand with upcoming TV reported Alison, played wonderfully by Catherine Heigal. Formerly known from TV’s Grey’s Anatomy Heigel impressed me immensely with the film filling Alison with a real sense of humanity and reality as she is forced to also come to terms with her pregnancy and the man. If there is one thing the film excels at it is finding the balance between the sexes.

The success of 40 year Old Virgin and now this are not accidental, these films appeal to a vast majority of people, they are relatable and real, there is very little sugar-coating which is a welcome relief from the happy go lucky reality that accompanies most romantic comedies these days. These films appeal to both men and women and treat all their characters with reverence. The women are just as centre stage in Knocked up, another far cry from the teenage wish-fulfilment found in many of the aforementioned gross-out comedies.

The film also has a lot to say about the current state of relationships, society and marriage, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann (Apatow’s wife) play Alison’s sister and brother in law who she currently lives with. Bickering and troubled they paint an at times heartbreaking depiction of marriage at its best and worst, but are used wonderfully to comment on this, rather than fill in as comedy sidekicks. The care and attention that goes into the supporting cast, including Ben’s bunch of stoner friends who spend all day cataloguing movie nudity for an upcoming website (blissfully unaware that such sites already exist). There is a great comradary between the guys, and the films tale of growing up and accepting responsibility is naturally presented, rather than overly hallmarked.

At the end of the day Knocked Up is an impressive and surprisingly moving film. Beneath its vulgar exterior and frequent tangents’ it manages to tell a simple story in a new and relevant way whilst respecting and trusting its audience. Never afraid to pull the punches when you aren’t expecting or hit you deep down there is a lot more going on here than may first appear. Apatow and Rogan are names to watch out for, stars who can connect with a wide audience and who have an honesty about them that demands respect. Knocked Up is more than a comedy, though it is frequently very funny. It is a tale about growing up, about modern life and about the humanity and heart that, deep down, we all share. In its own way, this is the most romantic, and entertaining film of the year, and it does it all with the minimum of fuss. If this is the new wave of comedy then it comes as a refreshing, and very welcome change.

A warm hearted and surprisingly moral comedy this pushes all the right buttons and finds a happy medium between honest home truths and wisecracking buddy humour. Few films treat their characters with such respect and appeal to the human in each of us. Guaranteed to leave with a warm glow, long after the credits have rolled.