Forgetting Sarah Marshall A
Starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Rated R for sexual content, language, and some graphic nudity
Appropriate for ages 17+
The Story: When Peter (Segel) is dumped by his famous TV-star girlfriend Sarah (Bell), he tries to fight his depression by taking a trip to Hawaii. Unfortunately, Sarah and her new rock-star boyfriend are staying at the same resort, and Peter is forced to accept his situation and try to move on.
The Good: Almost everything producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) touches is comedy gold (with the possible exception of Drillbit Taylor), and this is no different. Here we are exposed (no pun intended) to a another lovable but flawed character with real pain in his life that we can’t help but laugh at. The situations don’t feel fake in the least and this believability helps us, as the audience, to relate and empathize with poor Peter and cheer him on as he tries to get another girl that is way out of his league (Kunis).
What I am most shocked about here is how a little-known actor can actually make for such a great lead in a big movie. Seth Rogen did it in Knocked Up, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera did it in Superbad, and now Jason Segel pulls it off with power in this project.
As an aside, if you find you like all of the above mentioned films and want to see where Segel and Rogen got their start, check out the DVD of the brilliant Apatow-produced TV show Freaks and Geeks. It’s another one of those great shows that couldn’t find an audience at the time, but has done not-surprisingly well now that the kids have come of age.
The Bad: If you thought 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad were too racy, then stay way-clear from this one. This is a very adult comedy that probably came very close to an NC-17 rating due to it’s sexual nature. That being said, the sexual situations and nudity are done for laughs and are far from sexy, but the skin has the potential to offend a lot of viewers.
The Summary: This is an unbelievably and unforgettably funny film.