This is 40 (2013)

My kids hated this movie and my husband hated this movie--not to mention that it wasn't what I would call a run away critcal success.  So I hesitate to say this, but I found a lot of truth wrapped in amongst the story that was told here.

The movie is loosely designed to be a follow-up to Judd Apatow's 'Knocked Up'.  Pete and Debbie had a rocky relationship in the first movie, and no surprise, it hasn't really gotten any better.  I think the reason for that is that while they are sexually attracted to each other, they have no real relationship.  They lack intimacy.  There are lots of good reasons for that--we meet both of their fathers and it is no leap of faith to see that they were ill equipped by their parents to form an intimate long term relationship with each other.  So when problems arise, they don't have each other to problem solve with--indtead, they hide it from each other.  They have a more intimate relationship with their family planner than they do with each other.

So, you might ask, what did I like about this movie?  Well, it certainly isn't funny, so you have to drop that expectation right away.  Approach it as a drama and you will be much happier.  The things that rang true for me were the bad choices they made--they were realistic bad choices--and the consequences that ensued from those bad choices.  For instance, instead of sitting down and trying to figure out what to do about a failing business, a thieving employee, a mooching parent and the inability to pay their morgage, they go to a high end resort and have sex all weekend.  I can see the short term appeal of that, but you just end up another day older and deeper in debt.  This is a "how not to do it" kind of story, and just about everyone will see some failed strategy that they have previously employed portrayed here.