Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
By Cheryl Leong
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand and Mila Kunis.
Official website: http://www.forgettingsarahmarshall.com/
Breaking up is hard to do.
Just ask Peter Bretter (Jason Segel), struggling musician/slob who has spent the last 6 years idolizing his girlfriend, hotshot Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), star of hit TV series, Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime. His world is shattered when Sarah dumps him after shacking up with long-haired, preening British rocker, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).
After a string of meaningless one-night stands, Peter decides to head to Hawaii for a much-needed escape. Little did he expect to find Sarah and her new paramour at the exact vacation spot, in the exact hotel. Throw in perky, dark-haired hotel receptionist, Rachel (Mila Kunis), into the ensuing emotional melee and you've got yourself a likely candidate for Peter's new love interest.
Where Forgetting Sarah Marshall is concerned, we're not stepping into uncharted territory. The plot is faithful to the typical rom-com structure, but while predictable, still manages to deliver a lot of laughs. For that, we have the talented and charmingly amiable cast to thank.
First-time scriptwriter, Segel, invests a vulnerability in his characters that helps them rise above the predictability of plot. He is also immensely appealing as the earnest, sensitive lead: a bit flabby, a bit of a loser, but an altogether loveable lug. And even though audience sympathies may not initially lie with Sarah, you come to realize that she has genuinely loved Peter, and the fault may not be hers alone.
This being a Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) production, expect the movie's background to be peopled with some of the wackiest and geekiest oddball regulars for comic effect. Jonah Hill, Bill Hader and Paul Rudd all phone in hilarious bit parts. Props however, really belong to Britain's best-kept comedic secret, Russell Brand.
Scene after scene of this self-absorbed, promiscuous, self-proclaimed sex-god will leave you in stitches. Yet there is also a surprising wisdom amid all that raunchy honesty and snappy wit. Kunis is also delightful as the passionate party girl with a big heart and an even bigger temper.
Wryly funny and smartly written, this is one heart-felt romantic comedy which takes naked vulnerability to a whole new level, literally and figuratively.
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