Film: "Knocked Up"

I went to watch Knocked Up with Mack late Thursday afternoon. In the weeks since it premiered, the movie has received surprisingly positive coverage, and not just because of its directorial connection to the also-critical darling The 40 Year Old Virgin.

A story about two strangers deciding to try to make a relationship work after the titular consequences of a one-night stand, Knocked Up was well-done on many levels. The situations, dialogue and acting all seemed so natural, quite an accomplishment on the part of the filmmakers. Nothing (except possibly the ending, but more about this later) seemed staged, and the conversations and crises faced by the characters would be ones expected in the real world. Katherine Heigl put in a strong performance, but I thought (echoing many critics) that supporting cast members Paul Rudd and the hysterically energetic Leslie Mann stole the show. As for the ending, while I can appreciate the desire to cap a supposed "romantic comedy" with a happy conclusion, I am of the opinion that the real struggle for Ben and Alison would begin when they realize that their relationship must exist outside of the bubble created by a child (an assessment that the hopeless romantic Mack disagrees with).

Knocked Up is a good, funny alternative to the bloated summer blockbusters in theatres now.