Ligeiramente Grávidos

Probably because there is something fundamentally poignant about watching people you deem hopeless stumbling toward responsibility, this movie reminds me of the old Natalie Wood/Steve McQueen dramedy, 1963's "Love With the Proper Stranger", about a Macy's salesgirl who gets impregnated by a ne'er-do-well jazz musician during a one-night stand and then tracks what happens afterward. However, this is the 21st century, and the girl is now an interviewer on E!, and the guy is a very non-McQueen-like slacker in this uproarious and quite humane 2007 comedy, the latest work from writer/director Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"). In both comedies, he manages an amazing balancing act between a raunchy, post-frat hilarity and a shrewdly observed social commentary. Yet, there is no discernible fluctuation in the humor or the genuinely good spirit the films generate. Blessedly free of exhausting crescendo moments, the dialogue has a nice ramshackle feel and so do the characters. You really feel you want to know what happens to them after the film ends.

The story looks at the outset like your standard Hollywood opposites-attract rom-com as it centers on the burgeoning relationship between Ben Stone, the perfectly named definition of a slacker, and Alison Scott, the beautiful entertainment reporter. They meet at a trendy LA bar where she is celebrating her promotion to on-air personality. Ben buys her a beer, and she is impressed enough by his unexpected chivalry to keep him company. One thing leads to another, and you can guess the rest. But what you can't guess so easily is how these characters respond to the situation and to each other. There is also a surrounding gallery of characters offering their own opinions about what is developing, in particular, Alison's acerbic older sister Debbie, who is facing a crisis of her own as the control-freak wife of passively dissatisfied husband Pete. Their story intertwines nicely with the main plot line to the point where each makes the other more resonant.

Familiar faces from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" return in this movie beginning with Seth Rogen, who proves he can carry a movie as Ben. Despite outward appearances to the contrary, his shaggy-dog demeanor and sometimes piercing self-deprecation provide much of the heart in the picture. As a last-minute substitute for Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl proves she can translate her natural likability on "Grey's Anatomy" to the big screen with ease. As Alison, she shows herself to be the rare actress who can be drop-dead gorgeous, smartly aware and genuinely non-judgmental. Apatow's wife Leslie Mann, who memorably demanded French toast while driving drunkenly through LA in "Virgin", is terrific as Debbie, an often-irritating mass of neuroses whom you somehow like despite herself. She has a great self-revelatory scene with a bouncer outside the same bar we see at the beginning. Paul Rudd plays Pete in his deceptively casual manner with a standout scene stoned in a Vegas hotel room.

Harold Ramis has a nice small scene as Ben's proud dad, while Ben's friends are an assortment of slacker-types played out like a well-tuned improv troupe. My one complaint about the film is just some of the sluggish pacing toward the last third of the film, the same problem I had with "Virgin". A running time of 129 minutes seems a bit long for the story being told here, though the birthing scene is hilariously executed, in particular, a scene-stealing bit by Ken Jeong as the passive-aggressive gynecologist called on to deliver the baby at the last minute. One other minor irritant are the deliberate references to "Virgin" in some of the dialogue between Ben and Pete. Regardless, this is one smart, heartfelt character-driven farce that far exceeded my expectations.

I've noticed a lot of the negative comments about this title tend to focus on this movie's vulgar, 'stupid' humor. Now let's get one thing straight. Knocked Up is vulgar, absolutely it is, but is is not stupid. Stupid humor is crap like "Mr. Woodcock" and "Good Luck Chuck," movies with no real craft to any of their jokes.

"Jessica Alba fell down!!! Ahahahahahaha!"

"He yelled 'sex' really loud!!! Pssshhahahahahaaheheheheeee!"

No. Die.

Knocked Up, on the other hand, is actually pretty clever most of the time. And even the movie's vulgarity isn't done in an over-the-top, simply-for-gross-out way (cite the fat bitch from Good Luck Chuck). It's what I guess you could call 'relevant vulgarity.' Anyway, the movie is extremely funny. Every joke is naturalistic, but not expected. The movie's characters are all convincing and multi-dimensional, and above all likable. Seth Rogan really does make the movie, though. He is hilarious, but he comes off more like a real nice, frank, down-to-Earth guy. Just the kind of guy you'd like to sit down and have a beer with. The kind of guy you'd more than like to get smashed with. The kind of guy you'd really like to have ill advised unprotected sex with. The kind of guy you'd love to raise a bastard child with. Needless to say, he's the reason the movie works.

Although the subject matter wasn't really appealing to me, the critics and general audience reviews are right: this is a very well made movie. The acting is great, the plot fast-paced, the characters believable and the dialog witty and clever. It reminds me of Superbad - another movie that I would never normally see, but one which wins you over by it's sheer (albeit crude) brilliance.

The basic premise is simple: a young TV reporter celebrates a promotion by getting drunk and inadvertently pregnant. The father-to-be is a good natured, pot-head slacker who has no money. When she decides to have the baby, she's not sure what her relationship with the father should be... and the movie progresses from there.

It's a simple plot but the dialog is what makes this movie shine. No matter the scene, it was always fun to hear what the characters were going to say. Even though most of them were one-dimensional, the dialog made them seem human and easy to relate to. A fast-movie plot also kept the movie moving along - something was always happening and there was never a dull moment.

While there is a certain level of crudity throughout, the movie is generally lighthearted and innocent. It's a fun movie to see.

When Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is promoted in E! Television, she goes to a night-club to celebrate with her older married sister Debbie (Leslie Mann). Alison meets the pothead reckless Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and while having a small talk with him, Debbie's husband Pete (Paul Rudd) calls her to tell that their daughter has chickenpox. Debbie immediately leaves the place but Allison stays with Ben, drinking and dancing along all night; completely wasted, they end up having a one night stand. Ben does not use condom and eight weeks later, Allison discovers that she is pregnant. She calls Ben and they decide to try to stay together and have the baby. But the immatures Ben needs to grow-up first to raise a family of his own.

"Knocked Up" is a funny comedy and an entertaining romance with a charming cast. Seth Rogen and the gorgeous Katherine Heigl show a perfect chemistry with their charismatic characters, very well supported by Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, and I laughed a lot with the most hilarious situations. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Ligeiramente Grávidos" ("Slightly Pregnants")

Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) meets Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) at a bar, they get drunk and have a little fun afterward, then they part ways. That is, until a few weeks later, Alison discovers she's pregnant and Ben is the father. This simple story makes up the hilarious film Knocked Up. I really enjoyed this, it has a lot of great laughs and it also has a lot of heart spread throughout.

Seth Rogen does an excellent job, I'm glad he's been given the chance to be the lead in such a big film. And Katherine Heigl is equally entertaining. The two of them are so great together, they're just so much fun to watch on screen. The supporting actors are also wonderful. Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are perfect together. And I think Kristen Wiig steals the show with her small yet hysterical role as one of the workers at E!.

When people go to see this they'll want to compare it with 40 Year Old Virgin. Though I'm not a big fan of comparing movies to other movies, I guess I'll have to go through with it. For me, 40 Year Old Virgin is a funnier movie, but Knocked Up is a better written film and it has more heart to it. Both films based their story on a simple premise (a nerdy 40 year old hasn't had sex, a guy has a one night stand and gets the woman pregnant), but it seems like 40 Year Old Virgin used its idea to just get laughs. Knocked Up, on the other hand, uses its set up and continues the story throughout the film, developing its characters.

So, Knocked Up is a very enjoyable film, it has some big laughs (I particularly love the side story with the bearded roommate) but its also very sweet at times. I'm sure people will love it. See the movie and you'll get more than just laughs.