Movie Reviews
Great Laughs to Kickoff The Summer Season
By Zach Bowen
May 2, 2008 - 11:25
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Jason Segel
Producer: Judd Apatow
Composer: Lyle Workman
Cinematographer: Russ T. Alsobrook
Editor: William Kerr
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) Mila Kunis (That 70s Show) and Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars). The film opens with Segel’s character, Peter, being left by his long time girlfriend Sarah Marshall for another man. The story follows Peter on a trip to Hawaii where he attempts to move on from his break-up, only to find Sarah and her new lover staying at the same hotel.
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is the first film written by Jason Segel in addition to being his first leading role. The film follows the stylistic humor of producer Judd Apatow, who directed “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”, but still has a unique feel to it that will appeal to audiences who may be growing tired of other Apatow produced films. The story itself is not so far removed from reality that is unbelievable, and that adds to a lot of its charm. The different relationships in the film feel genuine, and viewers will most likely find themselves drawing parallels between themselves and the characters. Every member of the cast adds a different flavor of humor that compliments the overall story. Segal has an innocence about him that contributes to the appeal of both his character and the film as a whole. Mila Kunis’ character, Rachel, acts as the voice of the audience in many scenes as she shows a great deal of compassion for Peter. One of the most interesting aspects is that Sarah Marshall is not depicted as the typical evil ex-girlfriend; as the story progresses it becomes evident that Peter also shares some of the blame for their break-up. Segel does an excellent job of writing characters that the audience can ultimately empathize with, all of whom are shown to have various quirks and shortcomings. Despite the characters’ struggles with depressing circumstances, the film is still able to come off as lighthearted with its wonderful mix of humorous and emotional moments.
While “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” has a fantastic script, the final cut suffers due to sloppy transitions from scene to scene. In addition, the narrative of the film is a bit jarring and does not particularly flow well. Often, individual scenes can be executed in the best manner possible, but may move on too quickly to an unrelated scene. Ultimately, the timeframe of the film is a bit unbelievable. The story is supposed to take place during a four day period, but so many events occur within this short timeframe that it seems impossible for everything to have happened during the allotted time.
Overall, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is a remarkable film. It has a blend of various forms of comedy that will appeal to those who enjoy some lowbrow humor along with those who enjoy heavy emotional stories. This film is a refreshing opening to feel-good summer comedies and will leave audiences happily surprised at the end.
7.5/10
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