My wife and I took a chance on this and rented it when we couldn't find anything else. We haven't seen any other Apatow films -they all looked a little too adolescent for our tastes. We had read some good reviews of this, though, so we gave it a shot. It was a real surprise -very clever, well-written, and genuinely funny. Great cast, and all give excellent performances. Lots of real talent went into this. A very enjoyable movie.
While one has come to expect Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and even Segel himself to be on point because of their past turns in other Apatow produced comedies, it is the newcomers that really impress.
Like Christpher Mint-Plaisse as Fogel in "Superbad" it is the ability to find new and original comedic voices that have largely contributed to the success of past Apatow movies like "Superbad", "Knocked up", and even "40 year old virgin".
"Sarah Marshall" introduces the british Comedian Russell Brand to American audiences as Aldous Snow the ultra-ridiculous british rockstar/new boyfriend of Sarah Marshall. Brand has dynamite comic timing and is certainly willing to do anything for a laugh. His interactions with Jonah Hill whose character is obsessed with him are both creepy and laugh out loud funny.
the other real suprise is Mila Kunis. While I enjoyed her as jackie on "That 70's Show", her work here is truly relevatory. While she is essentially playing the requiste "dream girl" she is able to give the part some real depth while giving the movie a real warmth.
The other standout for me was Bill Hader who is funnier everytime I see him. Most will probably recognize him from his work in Superbad as Seth Rogen's partner and in this he plays segel's step-brother who is not afraid to tell Peter exactly how it is.
I also feel I need to mention Kristen Bell who plays Sarah Marshall. While the role is rather thankless she is quite funny and gives the character real bite. She also nails perhaps the most honest scene I have ever seen in a romantic comedy when she finally tells Peter why it didnt work between them. Both actors shine in the scene, but her work is both honest and heartbreaking and gives her character a depth that I certainly was not expecting.
This one is highly recommended
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Partway through this movie I was tempted to stop it, but I'm glad I didn't. This is a movie that starts good, has a wandering middle section, but a strong, satisfying finish. The story is one most people can relate to a guy gets dumped, tries to forget his ex but can't get away from her, and manages to find someone else. The part where I almost gave up on it was around where Jason Segel's character was breaking down in scenes which were intended to be funny, but at times just felt sad. I enjoy comedies which include their share of drama, but these scenes felt too forced. It seemed like some of those scenes stretched on for too long or borderline-funny gags were repeated too much. The movie does still have its share of funny scenes, like most of Apatow's films.The scenes with the Dracula puppet musical were quite funny and the ending was rather touching. I will also give the movie credit for being one of the few daring enough to include male frontal nudity. Movies have no problem with having all the violence in the world but shy away from any nudity except graphic sex scenes. Here's an example of where nudity can be used in a story without being gratuitous.
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The story line of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is nothing completely new or all that complex. The movie starts off with Peter Bretter, played by Jason Segel, who ends up getting broken up by Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell, his celebrity girlfriend of 5 years. I thought that I was going to see a movie that has been done a million times and will laugh at a few dirty jokes. Surprisingly enough, Jason Segel knows his way around writing and acting. For a man who has never played a lead character or written his own screenplay he was very impressive.One thing that not everyone realizes is that the full frontal nudity scene was not in the movie just for laughs. We have him nude in the beginning because Sarah has completely stripped him of everything and she couldn't accept who he really is, his true nakedness. And if you watch the movie (I don't want to spoil it too much) you will see this motif happen again later in the film. Yes, it is very funny to see Peter standing naked while he is getting dumped, but it also served a purpose.
Throughout the film we get witty and fresh characters that continue to make us laugh. The bar tender from South Central always stirs up laughs and the Christian couple on their honeymoon will have you grabbing your sides. Not to mention the incredible character of Aldous Snow played by Russel Brand. I know many people are not a fan of Brand, but my friends and I just can't get enough of him. His amazing improv throughout the film and ridiculous attitude is all part of his humor.
If some of you are asking how it stands up to the other comedies of the year, I must say FSM trumps all. Tropic Thunder is a close second for me, but the closeness that this will have with people that have gone through difficult breakups will have them laughing a bit more.
Last thing I want to say is the three disc collectors edition is well worth every penny. All the special features are hilarious and definitely worth the view. They share stories of Russel Brand's first audition to how Jason felt watching his nude scenes with his mom and little sister. We also get some insight from Nick Stoller and how he felt directing his first film and being part of the Apatow gang. The best part about this DVD, and should be true about all other Unrated editions, is that you can choose to watch either the unrated or theatrical version. Personally I prefer the theatrical version because it flows better, but give the unrated a view for their extra jokes. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is a film that will not soon be forgotten.
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When you hear the phrase "date movie", most people usually think "chick flick", a movie that's pleasing to the female on the date yet only passable at best for the guy. Something like The Wedding Planner, 27 Dresses or the most recent chick-centric movie to be dubbed "the perfect date movie", Made of Honor.Forgetting Sarah Marshall blows all those flicks right out of the water. This movie is a rare occurrence. It's a movie that has the right amount of romance for the ladies and an abundance of raunchy jokes for the guys. Kristen Bell is especially good in her role as the title character. She's come a long way since Veronica Mars. She proves that comedy is her real forte.
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