I really worry about Josh Hartnett. Becoming a dreamy idol of lust for young women across the world in such a short time must be tough. I'm guessing it was PEARL HARBOR that sealed the deal. Affleck is beginning to show his age, and with young chiseled Hartnett standing beside him, the girls in the audience found a terrific relief pitcher. Going from one Bruckheimer film to the next (BLACK HAWK DOWN) made me wonder if young Josh was already solidifying himself as an action star. Guess I assumed too much. In 40 DAY AND 40 NIGHTS, Hartnett plays the humble Matt Sullivan. A devoted boyfriend to a woman he's romantically dedicated his mind to. The film opens with a montage of home movie footage showing Matt and Nicole (played by Vinessa Shaw) in what appears to be some happy and loving moments. These precious memories were filmed by Matt's roommate Ryan, played by ROAD TRIP's Paulo Costanzo. But we quickly learn that Matt and Nicole are no more, and our hero is doing his best to move forward sexually, only without the best results. As Matt continues to accompany Ryan on chick hunts night after night, he comes to the realization that Nicole has ruined him for other women. Sex doesn't work anymore, and he has constant nightmares to remind him of what's happened. Things get worse when he finds out Nicole is now engaged to someone else. After consulting with his priestly brother John, played by Adam Trese, Matt has an epiphany. He decides to give up sex and any type of sexual conduct for 40 days and 40 nights. His brother warns him of the difficulty and actually tries to dissuade Matt from the attempt. Despite the odds, our hero begins his valiant mission, and at first things look rather good. His friends at work soon catch wind of what's going on, and even start a betting pool on when Matt will falter. His boss, played by a semi-manic Griffin Dunne, finds the act to be somewhat inspiring. Unfortunately for Matt, it isn't long before EVERYONE finds out what's going on, thanks to his untrustworthy friends. To make things more difficult, a casual night at the local Laundromat leads to a romantic meeting with a beautiful girl named Erica, played by Shannyn (A KNIGHT'S TALE) Sossomon. Matt falls madly in love with her, making his mission next to impossible. She also falls madly in love with him, and can't understand why he refuses to get close. Erica's roommate Samantha is concerned that she'll wind up hurt in similar fashion to her previous relationships. Problems build as all of Matt's co-workers begin taking highly unfair steps to try and thwart his objective, and his former love tries to rekindle their now dead relationship. Can Matt make it? Will he find true love in the process? Will someone give me a break?
40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS isn't a bad movie, but we've seen this kind of thing before. Hartnett plays the earnest hero in appropriate form, but exhibits one major flaw. His emotions seem unaffected for the most part. Oh sure, he frets and sweats and even gives us that shocked look time after time when he's tested. But in the face of his supposed friends and their cruel attempts to screw him up, he does nothing. No shouting, no angry looks, not even a single punch. There lies the biggest problem. The film has no payoff for the characters that deserve it. We wait for it, but it never comes. The humor, which is mature humor, works fairly well. There are several moments of uproarious laughter, but most come with a "that's so wrong" mentality. Most audiences might expect this to be a chick flick, and to some extent it is. Surprisingly enough, there are PLENTY of hot women, bare boobs, and guy humor to make the unwilling boyfriends a bit more comfortable in the theater. One scene involving a copier is worth the ticket alone. The movie is funny, though not consistently enough. Hartnett proves his comedic ability, which is good, as he'll most likely get a wider range of scripts offered to him after this. Director Michael Lehmann, who's helmed everything from HEATHERS to HUDSON HAWK, shows a subtle comedic touch here. There are no over the top camera shots, and no need for there to be. Sossamon has a sexy yet demure look to her, which must be her obvious appeal. She's that cool chick we all know, and wouldn't mind getting to know better. Paulo Costanzo seemed underplayed for some reason, never really doing the funny things we'd expect him to in this role. Vinessa Shaw is sexy and manipulative as Nicole, providing the antagonist character nicely, but like many of the characters in this flick does not get what she deserves. Perhaps this was the film's way of saying real life isn't always fair, but you should still do the right thing. Good guys must endure, in order for the rewards to feel deserved. Either that or I'm just too darn old to get it.
On a scale of ONE to TEN, 10 being the best, I give 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS a 7.
40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS isn't a bad movie, but we've seen this kind of thing before. Hartnett plays the earnest hero in appropriate form, but exhibits one major flaw. His emotions seem unaffected for the most part. Oh sure, he frets and sweats and even gives us that shocked look time after time when he's tested. But in the face of his supposed friends and their cruel attempts to screw him up, he does nothing. No shouting, no angry looks, not even a single punch. There lies the biggest problem. The film has no payoff for the characters that deserve it. We wait for it, but it never comes. The humor, which is mature humor, works fairly well. There are several moments of uproarious laughter, but most come with a "that's so wrong" mentality. Most audiences might expect this to be a chick flick, and to some extent it is. Surprisingly enough, there are PLENTY of hot women, bare boobs, and guy humor to make the unwilling boyfriends a bit more comfortable in the theater. One scene involving a copier is worth the ticket alone. The movie is funny, though not consistently enough. Hartnett proves his comedic ability, which is good, as he'll most likely get a wider range of scripts offered to him after this. Director Michael Lehmann, who's helmed everything from HEATHERS to HUDSON HAWK, shows a subtle comedic touch here. There are no over the top camera shots, and no need for there to be. Sossamon has a sexy yet demure look to her, which must be her obvious appeal. She's that cool chick we all know, and wouldn't mind getting to know better. Paulo Costanzo seemed underplayed for some reason, never really doing the funny things we'd expect him to in this role. Vinessa Shaw is sexy and manipulative as Nicole, providing the antagonist character nicely, but like many of the characters in this flick does not get what she deserves. Perhaps this was the film's way of saying real life isn't always fair, but you should still do the right thing. Good guys must endure, in order for the rewards to feel deserved. Either that or I'm just too darn old to get it.
On a scale of ONE to TEN, 10 being the best, I give 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS a 7.