Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Jerry Saravia
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Four stars
The other day I saw 1934's "It Happened One Night" and was reminded
what a great screwball comedy it was and how its situations revolved
around its main characters whom I cared about. It was also a great
romantic comedy, sharper and edgier than most others of its ilk. I can
say the same for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," a truly sidesplittingly
and wickedly funny romantic comedy. Yes, it is nothing new in terms of
its genre but it is too saucy, sincere and plainly hilarious to pass
up.
Jason Segel (who wrote the screenplay) is Peter Bretter, a music
composer who currently writes and performs the creepy music themes for
a "CSI"-type TV show (William Baldwin appears in it, no doubt
mimicking some of David Caruso's gestures). Peter is also romantically
involved the show's leading actress, Sarah Marshall (a winning
performance by Kristin Bell). Unfortunately, she has called it quits
on their relationship - all this after arriving at his apartment and
finding him bare naked. Peter is distraught and understandably
depressed, unaware of what caused this break-up. He goes on a vacation
to Hawaii, which was suggested by Sarah at one time, and finds Sarah
there with a new beau (Russell Brand). Things can only get worse until
Peter gets friendly with the female hotel desk clerk, Rachel (Mila
Kunis), and, well, shall I spell out the rest for you?
Most romantic comedies of the past decade seem so cardboard and uni-
dimensional that you are better off looking at peeling paint or
eroding Chinese drywall. Of the 2000 decade, "Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind" is one of the finest, richest and most emotional of all
romantic comedies that I've seen. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and
2007's "Knocked Up" are two more to add to the list. Part of the charm
of "Sarah Marshall" is that as anticipated as every scene is, the
movie flirts with you and gives you goosebumps of joy at delivering
such an entertaining, lovable cast of colorful characters.
There is the aforementioned Jason Segel who gives his schlub of a
character a whiff of humanity, humor and heart in such equal doses
that it is impossible to find him less than irresistible. Whether he
tries singing the lyrics to his "Dracula" opera, or is wooing the
quixotic Rachel or crying uncontrollably, Segel always manages to make
you care about his plight and his character never comes across as
desperate or foolish - you just understand where he is coming from. He
wants to be loved and in this current Judd Apatow mood of sensitive
males that is pervasive in cinemas since "40 Year-Old Virgin," it
works.
And what should be far more commonplace outside of Judd Apatow and
Jason Segel country are the juicy and fully-dimensional women
characters. I truly admire Mila Kunis (formerly of TV's "That 70's
Show") for creating one of the loveliest screen presences in any
romantic comedy in a long time. Kunis shows Rachel's heart,
sensitivity and her pain, especially in one scene where she berates a
former boyfriend on the beach. She is funny, sweet, charming and has a
bit of an edge - she is the girlfriend who remains true to herself but
doesn't appreciate backstabbing or disloyalty.
And Kristin Bell ("Veronica Mars") knocked my socks off, showing far
more flair and comic timing than in anything else she has appeared in.
Her Sarah Marshall character could've easily been an unlikable
sourpuss that the audience would hate for all the obvious reasons.
However, when she decides to warm up to Peter after having dumped him,
one senses that she is forthright and just needs someone to love her.
How refreshing to see the woman who seemingly is all wrong for the
male lovebird.
Also worth mentioning is the hysterically funny Russell Brand, a stand-
up British comedian with a Rastafarian hairstyle who is as charming as
any bloke we normally see in these movies. In this case, he is a bed-
hopping, lustful rock star named Aldous Snow, who not only craves sex
but demonstrates how it should be done. His best scenes are the
classic dueling sex scene (check out his humiliated reaction) and the
dinner scene where he gives a negative review to a crappy horror movie
Sarah had made about a killer telephone!
Jason Segel and debuting director Nicholas Stoller have crafted a
humanistic, emotionally centered romantic comedy with an equal share
of belly laughs. Peter, Sarah Marshall, Rachel and Aldous Snow come
across as vulnerable types - they want love and to be loved in their
own terms. The fact that Peter knew all along the complications of a
relationship make his character that much more sympathetic. In an age
of anonymous Hollywood movies about bland love, "Forgetting Sarah
Marshall" is one of the few marvelous American comedies in quite some
time. You won't soon forget it.
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