Hollywood is horny. Hollywood is so horny it will do anything to produce a movie about sex, including making a movie that concentrates on not having sex. The result is ridiculous.

Josh Hartnett plays Matt Sullivan, a 20-something whose dot-com job looks like the set of “”The Real World.”” Sullivan is desperately trying to get over his ex-girlfriend Nicole (Vinessa Shaw). As a last resort, he takes a vow of abstinence for Lent. It’s a horrible idea according to all of his male friends, including his priest-in-training brother.

Of course, Sullivan’s trial is anything but easy. In his path lies love interest Erica (Shannyn Sossamon), whom he can’t sleep with. In addition, a large betting pool forms among Sullivan’s co-workers, who try everything to sabotage his progress.

The movie brings a relatively new angle to the “”tired-but-true”” teen-age sex movie, and Hartnett plays the haggard, sex-deprived Sullivan well. Sullivan’s transformation is painfully amusing as the days go on without any form of sexual contact. He goes from a dashing ladies’ man to a twitching bundle of nerves who has to douse himself with ice water in the morning.

Besides presenting audiences with the unique concept of being a sex movie with more talk than action, “”40 Days”” has a few redeeming qualities. Sullivan’s hallucinations incorporate a limited use of animation, which contributes to the lightheartedness of the film. Also, while “”40 Days”” doesn’t go for the gross-out caliber of “”American Pie,”” audiences should look for the scene where Hartnett fakes an orgasm.

Despite Hartnett’s best attempts at comedic acting, “”40 Days”” is fatally flawed. The scripted nature of the dialogue between Sullivan and his roommate Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) loses the audience’s interest. Sullivan’s love-interest, Erica, is grating when Sullivan’s forced abstinence becomes a personal affront to her needs. Sossamon is clearly a newcomer to the Hollywood scene: She apparently even neglected to hire a hair stylist.

In all honesty, “”40 Days”” presents little that moviegoers haven’t already seen. While some of the laughs are deserved and Hartnett does well when sexually repressed, you can abstain from this one.

40 Days and 40 Nights

**

Starring Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Paulo Costanzo

In theaters March 1

Rated R