40 Days And 40 Nights

Latest in the ever-lengthening line of American teen sex/masturbation comedies, the lamentable Forty Days And Forty Nights follows the usual formula with slavish devotion, and is no more (or no less) amusing than the rest of its post-Porky precursors.

Its imaginative plot runs thus - Matt (Hartnett) is a successful 20-something web designer. When he (yet again) fails to keep his dick in his pants, his girlfriend Nicole (Shaw) is a bit miffed and decides to ditch him. Matt is left broken-hearted and resolves to take drastic action. Partly influenced by his priest brother, he decides to emulate Christ (sort of) for Lent. Of course, this involves swearing to steer clear of even the faintest possibility of pussy, and indeed all forms of self-gratification.

Inevitably then, Matt almost immediately meets Erica (Sossamon), the woman of his dreams, and much hilarity ensues. Or at least it’s supposed to. Will he be able to hold out? Will she think he’s gay? And how come if he’s refraining from the actual physical act he’s still an absolute tosser in all but deed?

40 Days And 40 Nights is a thoroughly typical teen comedy which is part American Pie and part She’s All That. Naturally, it has little by way of originality, but it does have teen heart-throb Hartnett. While his actual performance is more likely to attract woodworm than rave reviews, his presence is sure to provide some comfort to teenage glitter babes anxious to avoid the World Cup – and the rom-com littered film schedules over the coming weeks suggest many such people exist.