As Jon Stewart mentioned in an interview with Steve Carell, star of the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," never has a poster so tersely captured a character. The poster is simple: a medium shot of Steve Carell looking yonder from his boyish hair and polo shirt with the starry-eyed wonder of an infant. No slogan could better promote the movie than his facial expression, and no actor could play a 40-year-old virgin in such a sympathetic and humorous manner.

Best known as the semi-retarded auxiliary news anchors on Comedy Central's "Daily Show," last year's successful comedy "Anchorman" and "Bruce Almighty," Carell consistently provided over-the-top laughs from the shadows of well-established comedians Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey. But "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is his show to steal, and he does so with sincerity and nerdy charm.

Carell plays Andy Stitzer, a 40-year-old social recluse and virgin whose idea of a whimsical weekend is to prepare egg salad for three hours. Stitzer's job working behind the counter at an electronics store affords him a nice apartment filled with valuable collectibles where he can prance around playing the tuba, sing karaoke in his boxers and play video games from a high-tech control chair. His life takes a turn when his newfound work friends vow to help him lose his virginity. As Andy exposes himself to a social community, he develops genuine friendships and goes on a disastrous yet promising trip toward sexual realization. Along the way, he meets a sexy young grandmother named Trish (Catherine Keener, "The Interpreter"). After a bad relationship, Trish finds herself attracted to Andy's nice-guy charm and willingness to forego sexual intimacy to build the foundation for a healthy relationship.

Carell provides most of the laughs as he reacts naively to his social stimuli. He colors the script with emotion that's laughably out there without losing credibility as a sincere and realistic character. You can't help but sympathize even as you laugh at him for berating himself for saying things like a breast feels like a bag of sand. Almost everything he says drips with loveable insecurity.

Carell's performance was certainly nurtured by director Judd Apatow, who brings the humor to the brink without transgressing into the realm of sheer stupidity. "Anchorman" had a similar comedic style, but often lost its grounding as the character development surrendered to the humor's deviance. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" stays rooted in its characters and the central motivating tension.

For the most part, the movie succeeds in its supporting characters. Andy's three work buddies are played by Paul Rudd ("Anchorman"), Seth Rogen ("Donnie Darko") and Romany Malco ("The Tuxedo"). Rudd plays a noticeably flat character who is hopelessly in love with an ex-girlfriend who wants nothing to do with him. His singular mindset would be annoying if it weren't so entertaining to watch him switch from romantic tenderness to raw bitterness. Rogen plays a Jewish pothead who is full of practical advice about spreading the seed and has a few of the best-delivered lines in the movie, especially when describing a debauchery-filled weekend in Tijuana. Malco plays a redeemable character who is insecure like Andy but expresses it through promiscuity and conceit. Catherine Keener shares great chemistry with Carell and makes her affection convincingly sincere so that as the plot develops, the audience cares about the relationship as much as the loss of virginity.

Sometimes the movie gets bogged down with uninspired cultural humor, but fortunately it never antagonizes its characters. At a two-hour running time, the movie could lose the scene in which a Jewish father makes fun of his son's Jewfro and penis size. The movie even has a conversation between Rudd and Rogen about how one knows the other is gay, which relies on juvenile insight and not prejudice. It feels tactful, yet still quite amusing.

The movie ends with a Bollywood-style cast performance of "Age of Aquarius." This celebration, though strange at first, is justified because "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is one of the most well-rounded, full-fledged comedies in recent years. It will likely bolster Carell into the premier esculent (this means "suitable for use as food; edible") of comedic personalities and serve as a reminder that movies of such a typically gratuitous nature can still be good-hearted and intelligent.

Grade: A

Second opinion

"Daily Show" alum and rising star Steve Carell stars as Andy Stitzer in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Trailers made the film look like just another movie filled with toilet humor and sex jokes, but "Virgin" has a heart. The plot is enjoyable, laughs are numerous and there is genuine chemistry between Carell and the rest of the cast.

Carell shines above everything else in the film to deliver an amazing performance and make the character both believable and appealing. The script is well written and thoughtful, with Carell himself penning much of it.

For a fun movie with more laughs than anything else in theaters this summer (yes, even better than "Wedding Crashers"), "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is not to be missed.

Grade: A

— Ryan Gauthier, ArtsEtc. Editor