Forgetting Sarah Marshall Review

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 04.21.2008

So who is Sarah Marshall again?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Directed By: Nicholas Stoller
Written By: Jason Segel
Runtime: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.
Official Site: Forgetting Sarah Marshall Official Website

Peter Bretter - Jason Segel
Sarah Marshall - Kristen Bell
Rachel Jensen - Mila Kunis
Aldous Snow - Russell Brand
Brian Bretter - Bill Hader
Matthew - Jonah Hill
Chuck - Paul Rudd
Darald - Jack McBrayer
Wyoma - Maria Thayer
Dwayne - Da'Vone McDonald
Kemo - Taylor Wily

OK, so superstar movie producer, Judd Apatow, and Apatow Productions have been in a slight slump with Walk Hard and Drillbit Taylor. It was only a matter of time after producing huge hit after hit with fried, comedy gold dynamite such as 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad. But now it feels like the slump is over with the excellent, new comedy about recovering from a bad break-up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Jason Segel, the co-star of the popular CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother and one of the supporting players in Knocked Up, steps up to take the lead as many supporting Apatow Production players tend to do. Segel plays Peter Brenner. Peter's a geeky couch potato and Hollywood composer for a popular TV show "Crime Scene". His longtime starlet girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Bell) is the star of the series. Unfortunately for Peter, he's dumped after they've been together for over five years, and it hits him hard. Peter goes through a hilarious meltdown and drowns in depression until his step-brother/buddy, Bill (Hader) convinces Peter to take a vacation.

Peter decides on Hawaii, and in true movie fashion Sarah is already on vacation there . . . with her new beau, the new wordly British rock star, Aldous Snow (Brand). This definitely puts a damper on Peter's plans to work over his issues in getting over Sarah. But Sarah definitely has some issues of her own specifically her penchant for being needy, selfish, and having to get her way. Well Peter, that's what you get for dating an actress.

Peter copes with the seemingly sexual bliss between Sarah and Aldous by drowning himself in alcohol, getting surfing lessons from the eccentric Chuck (Rudd, another Apatow Productions regular), and getting closer to the lovely Rachel Jensen (Kunis). Rachel takes pity on Peter's situation early in the story, and helps him out by letting him stay in a suite free of charge. Despite trying to salvage his broken heart, and coping with his former love right next door, Peter quickly warms up to Rachel as they both appear to make a connection and look very compatible together.

Segel hits a grandslam as Peter in this movie, and isn't afraid to let the camera film every inch of him, especially brave considering he doesn't exactly have the body of Tom Cruise. What Segel really nails with his script and director Stoller with the direction of the movie is new level of amazingly humorous, scenes of unadulterated awkwardness. Scenes so awkward unlike any ever been in a cinematic feature. As a low-brow, relationship comedy set in an exotic location, it succeeds on so many levels where movies like The Heartbreak Kid fail. Sure its low-brow, but the humor comes more from the excellent personalities of the cast and story moreso from envelope pushing R-rated gags and gimmicks which is all the Farrelly Bros. really have anymore.

Like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall has a lot of fun with taking some light pokes at Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

All the performances in the movie are unmitigatedly excellent. No actor or character in the movie ever feels extraneous or that they are wasting screentime. The movie builds a strong ensemble cast of performers other than the leads. Kristen Bell has really matured into a full adult actress and does a great job with her character. Mila Kunis has come a long way since playing the ditzy airhead on That 70's Show and starring in that God awful sequel to American Psycho. Kunis does an excellent job playing the very straight character Rachel. But don't let the word straight fool you, her character is in no way flat, boring, or weak, and Kunis holds her own presence quite well amongst all the prat falls and comedic performances.

And despite the heaping comedy, the movie still has a real heart to it. Segel and Stoller aren't afraid to put in some scenes void of any actual comedy in the movie at all. The movie's also a pretty nice advertisement for Segel who is now working on a new movie for the Jim Henson's Muppet series. Peter's passion project in the movie is producing a Dracula musical with puppets, and he even plays the Muppets theme song on a piano while wallowing in his sarrow. It can only be a good thing that the Muppets have new blood like Segel working on it.

The 411: Forgetting Sarah Marshall turns out to be a great, fun, and very well-executed R-rated comedy. The type you want to see get released more often. And I know this probably won't make sense but the best way to describe the movie is that it's a coventional comedy that's very unconventional. OK, maybe that doesn't make sense but the movie is conventional yet unconventional at the same time. Oh well, just take the recommendation, see the movie, and have a good time.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]