When you think of the end of the world – in cinematic terms at least – it's likely to conjure images of the likes of Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Will Smith and maybe even Keanu Reeves at a push.

This slightly different take on Armageddon features Steve Carell, and thankfully he keeps his shirt on throughout in this bittersweet comedy.

Despite valiant efforts by the US government, a meteor, named Matilda, is firmly predicted to crash into planet Earth in three weeks time and end life as we know it. Just as insurance man Dodge (Carell) is getting his head around this news, his reaction from his wife Linda (played by real life spouse Nancy Carell) is more immediate – she literally runs away from him. So not only does he have the end of the world to contend with, it looks highly likely he'll have to face it alone.

He's not the only one going through a break up however; Penny (Keira Knightley), a young English woman who lives in his building, has also just split up with her partner. As fate would have it, their paths cross, and they find comfort in each other's company.

Penny then realises that she has a lot of mail belonging to Dodge, which she has been meaning to pass on for several months. In the pile is a letter from his first love, written a couple of months ago, where she declares that he was in fact the love of her life.

Feeling extremely guilty for not passing on this vital piece of mail sooner, Penny makes a pledge to Dodge that she will do all she can to re-unite him with his old flame. And so the pair begin a road trip, that despite the end of the world being the final destination, they hope to find time for love along the way.

OMG it's Steve Carell from The Office. Can I get a hug?!

Here's the irony: despite making a name for himself playing Michael Scott in the US version of the comedy The Office, Carell has mostly struggled with the comic material offered to him in film, starring in such lame titles as Get Smart, Date Night and Dinner for Schmucks.

Where he has shined however, is in the more quirky, slightly reserved roles such as this. Carell has tapped in once again to the psyche of the vulnerable, middle aged man to great effect. On top of that, he pulls off a minor miracle in making audiences believe that if the end of the world was nigh, his character could pull a character played by Keira Knightley.

It's their relationship that is the heart of this film, with the world's end just serving as a somewhat unusual catalyst. Along the way however, the film does examine how different people react to the on-coming doom in very different ways. One of the more enjoyable is Dodge's Mexican cleaner, who seemingly just ignores the apocalypse in favour of her domestic duties.

Knightley also gives a heart-warming performance; it's amazing to think that although she's been in over forty odd films, she's still only twenty seven. She also proves that she can more than handle contemporary, fun rom-com characters, albeit set against the end of the world.

Writer Lorene Scafaria, also making her directing debut, gets the offbeat tone perfectly. The film's plot takes its protagonists on a journey that never feels forced, and one that thankfully doesn't attempt to wring every ounce of humour out of the dire situation.

Also worth a mention is a pleasing, for the most part, soundtrack. It's also highly unlikely that you'll ever hear two Wang Chung songs in the one film ever again. There's also a tiny feature on the disc that asks cast members what would be on their soundtrack to the end of the world. It's a great idea, it's just a shame that more wasn't done with it than the short, quickly put together piece featured.

There could have been an inclination to go completely over the top, considering the subject matter, but thankfully Scarfaria resisted. Her film is one that is nicely paced, sharply observed and contains two affectionate and charming performances from its leads. The film as a whole also manages to juggle being ever so slightly quirky with being an endearing rom-com.

And when Carell is on this adorable form, there's no other comic actor you'd really want to share the end of the world with.