The first of Judd Apatow's hugely successful hits on this list is the consistently brilliant The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Starring Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen, all of whom have gone on to become superstars of comedy over the last decade, the 2005 smash is vulgar, sexist, but very, very funny. Carell plays Andy Stitzer, a geeky middle-aged man who lives alone, watches video games and collects action figures. He doesn't have any friends, and although he appears something of a laughing stock with his colleagues at an electronics store, he seems content with life. The one cloud hanging over him, however, is that he is yet to lose his virginity. Once his workmates David (Rudd), Cal (Rogen) and Jay (Romany Malco) get wind of this, much to Andy's dismay, they set about helping him in his quest pop his cherry. In fact, they seem more obsessed with the situation than he does. It's a relatively simple premise, and under less talented hands than Apatow and his cast, there is every chance the movie could have been extremely average. As it is though, it passes with flying colours. The improvisation between Rudd and Rogen is fantastic - the "You know how I know you're gay?" scene is a particular highlight - and Carell delivers a performance that is both humorous and heartfelt (and that chest-waxing scene is legendary). Like all Apatow films there is a schmaltzy element to the movie, but that only gives it an extra dimension.
