Fortysomething

Amazon.com Fortysomething, starring the ever-engaging Hugh Laurie (House M.D., Jeeves and Wooster), is far more intriguing and peculiar than its generic title suggests. Paul Slippery (Laurie) wakes up one morning and can't remember the last time he had sex with his wife Estelle (the lovely Anna Chancellor, finally getting a sympathetic role after years of being the woman no one likes in Pride & Prejudice and Four Weddings and a Funeral). Paul's midlife crisis takes forms both fantastic (he thinks he can hear his wife's thoughts) and prosaic (he's baffled by the romantic entanglements of his three sons, two of whom keep trading partners with a pair of vivacious sisters). Estelle, for her part, is anxious about returning to work again after many years as a mother and housewife. One of Paul's coworkers tries to lure Estelle into an affair and Paul finds himself experimenting with herbal aphrodisiacs and dressing in an Islamic chador to get into an woman-only seminar. This tale of middle-age frustration skirts cliche but is rescued by off-kilter humor, whimsical digressions, a superb supporting cast, and smart writing, but above all by the rapport between Laurie and Chancellor. The warm yet combative chemistry between these two is perfectly suited to a couple who haven't fallen out of love but have lost their spark. A few plot elements of Fortysomething go awry--when Estelle tries to arrange a reunion with old friends and Paul thinks she's having an affair, the episode never quite transcends the overfamiliarity of the setup. But by the end, you'll be sorry to lose the company of this charming family. Laurie also directed three of the series' six episodes. --Bret Fetzer Product Description Golden Globe-winner Hugh Laurie (House) stars in this British comedy series as Paul Slippery, an anxiety-ridden doctor and befuddled family man confronting a midlife crisis. Obsessed with his sex life (or lack thereof), bewildered by his wife's new career, and relentlessly mocked by his three sons, Paul turns the fears and foibles of middle age into high comedy of the kookiest kind. Also starring Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and guest starring Stephen Fry, Laurie's partner-in-comedy from Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, and A Bit of Fry and Laurie. 6 episodes. . Review "An absolute must for Hugh Laurie fans." -- Exclusive Magazine "A clever, entertaining miniseries that appeals" -- DVD File "A lot of fun" -- The Washington Times "Deliciously raunchy" -- Entertainment Weekly "Smart comedy that reminds us why we really like Laurie." -- The Boston Globe "Very simply, Fortysomething is brilliant." -- BLAST Magazine
ASIN: B0011FLGV0
VSKU: DBV.B0011FLGV0.G
Condition: Good
Binding: DVD
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