"40 Days and 40 Nights" is a gimmick movie about a man trying to be honest with himself. Its interesting, believable love story entertains, but in the end, the film's shallow vulgarity weighs it down beyond relief.
"40 Days" is not "America's first no-sex comedy," as it wrongly bills itself. Indeed, the movie prides itself on its excessive sexual language, sexual humor, nudity and um, sex. And though it tries its hardest to be both, it is neither morally zealous nor a movie about one misguided man's search for God.
Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) is a twentysomething internet startup employee and sex addict. Six months after breaking up with Nicole (Vanessa Shaw), he finds himself with a real problem: every statuesque beauty he sleeps with reminds him of Nicole! His roommate tries to cure his attachment by procuring for him even more babes, but alas, Matt has started having panic attacks, and he is not quite the man he used to be.
Matt's brother John (Adam Trese) is his liaison in the Catholic Church, to whom he confesses regularly. On the first day of Lent, Matt decides to give up sex in any form: no sexual activity, no kissing, no petting and no masturbation. Unfortunately, on the first day of his fast, he meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon), the woman of his dreams.
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When people start to place bets predicting what day Matt will break down and gratify himself, his friends attempt to sabotage his efforts with various forms of seduction in order to win the pot. We see Matt encounter pornography, old flames, unrealistically gorgeous co-workers and even hallucinations (although the movie could have done without all of the sight gags).
The chemistry between Hartnett and Sossamon is quite strong, and their relationship keeps the plot afloat, not the other way around. Had their relationship played a more central role, this film could have been quite clever.
'40 Days' treats the tragedy of sexual addiction with a farcical levity. Having tried to live like our main character for four years now, I identify with and appreciate the battle with temptation that he faces. But this film avoids dealing with the consequences of sexual bondage. Only our main characters confront the undesirable consequences of lust.
The supporting cast acts as one collective character. They cast doubt on Matt's efforts, try to persuade him to give in and make light of his "vow." Not only do they not support him, they don't care about him as a person. This film needs to demonstrate the value of sexual purity for it to be effective, and the extraneous characters' antics do not help this cause.
Only Erica gives us relief from the sexual battles. Holding true to the tried-and-true formula of a romantic comedy, the film can't let her be understanding of her man's struggle. And of course, she is warm and very friendly. Matt and Erica go on an intimate bus-ride on their first date. Thankfully, when she was on screen, I knew I wasn't going to hear jokes about masturbation.
I will not give away whether or not Matt succeeds in his fast, but I will say that his endeavor does not exactly change his habits.
Hartnett made a decision when he began his career: he only plays moral characters. I guess it's working so far. He's believable and interesting, and his facial expressions effortlessly draw us into the story. '40 Days' demonstrates his ability to finally play the lead in a movie.
'40 Days' is right for those who have both a high tolerance for low-brow humor and an eagerness to see a good love story. While overall not a very intelligent picture, it has some clever moments. For better or worse, you won't come out of this film feeling like you've seen a typical romantic comedy.
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