Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) just got dumped, by none other than TV’s hottest crime fighter, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). After numerous one-night stands and wallowing in his misery, he follows his brother’s advice and books a holiday to Hawaii. This attempt to get over his ex is foiled however, when he (of course) finds that Sarah and her new beau, Brit rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) are vacationing at the same resort. Luckily, the staff at the Oahu resort (including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill) and the lush guest-services co-ordinator, Rachel (Mila Kunis) are willing to help the broken-hearted Peter forget Sarah Marshall.
I was actually surprised to discover that this film was not directed by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) as its visual style and sense of humour is pretty similar. The cast of Forgetting Sarah Marshall is rounded out with Apatow favourites. Though I didn’t like it as much as Apatow’s work, Nicholas Stroller (long-time friend of both Apatow and Segel) does well with this as his first feature film. The script is well written and has the right combination of below-the-belt jokes and romantic comedy.
Jason Segel is excellent as Bretter, the slacker whose only career aspiration is to write a Dracula inspired musical. You genuinely feel sorry for him, but can also laugh at him as he becomes the butt of some pretty awkward situations. Bell is suitably snippy as the divalicious title character. Mila Kunis is naturally charming and surprisingly likeable as Rachel, Peter’s possible love interest. Props must also go to Jack McBrayer (best known for his role in Mariah Carey’s ‘Touch My Body’ music video), as a Christian newlywed with consummation difficulties.
The standout performance, however, is of English bad boy, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Brand channels British rockers including Pete Doherty, the Gallagher brothers and Keith Richards to create the totally self-absorbed Snow. His effortless brand of cool and complete obliviousness to the sensitive nature of many scenarios he finds himself in (like crushing an ambitious fan’s dream of a demo “I was just gonna listen to that, but then, um, I just carried on livin’ my life”) is priceless.
The film’s final ten minutes are its greatest. Without giving away too much, Peter’s Dracula musical opens and no one will be disappointed.
My only issue with Forgetting Sarah Marshall is that the editing, to be frank, sucks. It lacked natural transitions and was very jumpy between scenes, which really disrupted the flow of the narrative. Besides this, the film has the makings of a great comedy, and one of the best of the year to date.
I was actually surprised to discover that this film was not directed by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up) as its visual style and sense of humour is pretty similar. The cast of Forgetting Sarah Marshall is rounded out with Apatow favourites. Though I didn’t like it as much as Apatow’s work, Nicholas Stroller (long-time friend of both Apatow and Segel) does well with this as his first feature film. The script is well written and has the right combination of below-the-belt jokes and romantic comedy.
Jason Segel is excellent as Bretter, the slacker whose only career aspiration is to write a Dracula inspired musical. You genuinely feel sorry for him, but can also laugh at him as he becomes the butt of some pretty awkward situations. Bell is suitably snippy as the divalicious title character. Mila Kunis is naturally charming and surprisingly likeable as Rachel, Peter’s possible love interest. Props must also go to Jack McBrayer (best known for his role in Mariah Carey’s ‘Touch My Body’ music video), as a Christian newlywed with consummation difficulties.
The standout performance, however, is of English bad boy, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Brand channels British rockers including Pete Doherty, the Gallagher brothers and Keith Richards to create the totally self-absorbed Snow. His effortless brand of cool and complete obliviousness to the sensitive nature of many scenarios he finds himself in (like crushing an ambitious fan’s dream of a demo “I was just gonna listen to that, but then, um, I just carried on livin’ my life”) is priceless.
The film’s final ten minutes are its greatest. Without giving away too much, Peter’s Dracula musical opens and no one will be disappointed.
My only issue with Forgetting Sarah Marshall is that the editing, to be frank, sucks. It lacked natural transitions and was very jumpy between scenes, which really disrupted the flow of the narrative. Besides this, the film has the makings of a great comedy, and one of the best of the year to date.
By Steph
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