2008 Woodie Awards
FILM REVIEW: 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' proves worthwhile
by Emily Fletcher | The Daily Vidette (Illinois State University)
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Arts
(U-WIRE) — Hilarity ensues in the newest Jason Segal cinematic endeavor, however the "best comedic film of the decade," as Richard Roper claims, it is not. The movie succeeds in carrying the Judd Apatow torch, combining romantic appeal with raunchy comedy.
We open with the laid back, slightly pathetic couch potato Peter Bretter (Segal) being dumped by longtime girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristin Bell), while completely in the nude—according to Segal, a semi-autobiographical scenario. Marshall provided some of the cleverest moments in the movie here with satirical quips at the crime television genre, of which she was a rising star. The scenes, I suspect, are cringe-worthy for David Caruso of "CSI Miami," unless he can laugh at his own career choices as Bell does in this film, where a direct reference is made to her performance in the Japanese remake, box office flop "Pulse."
Unfortunately for the pair, Bretter retreats to Hawaii to forget Marshall, only to discover her vacationing with her new boyfriend Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) at the same resort. Mila Kunis, known to many as Jackie Burkhart of "That '70s Show" and Meg Griffin of "Family Guy," was a ray of sunshine as the flawed but passionate Rachel Jansen, an employee of the resort that sets the scene. Genre collaborative favorites Jonah Hill ("Superbad") and Paul Rudd ("Knocked Up") make appearances as an Aldous Snow-obsessed aspiring musician and a burnt-out surf instructor, respectively.
Group interaction of the four main characters provided some of the best scenes, complemented by slightly odd cameos that help Bretter and Marshall gain much needed perspective on the pitfalls of their relationship. An unexpected mutual understanding, even appreciation, burgeons between Snow and Bretter, and both characters developed sufficiently to embrace their weaknesses and love them anyway.
About the time the characters finally figured out who they were supposed to end up with, I'd predicted the straightforward ending from the get-go and "wrap it up" signs started flashing in my head. Fortunately, I didn't give up altogether, as one of the biggest laughs of the movie is held to the end. Segal draws from his self-proclaimed identification with the classic "Dracula" and love for puppets, culminating in Bretter performing a "Gothic Neil Diamond" rendition of a musical inspired by the Bram Stoker literary classic.
Overall, the movie was thoroughly enjoyable and certainly targeted to an audience with a collegiate mentality, but the film is likely to achieve a wider fan base than "Superbad" simply because it is slightly more mature. If it hadn't been for the dwindling energy during some of Bretter's grieving and again toward the end when the audience had figured it all out, it may have indeed been one of the best comedies of the decade. However, as with the characters, the flaws are forgivable and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" won't soon be forgotten.
We open with the laid back, slightly pathetic couch potato Peter Bretter (Segal) being dumped by longtime girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristin Bell), while completely in the nude—according to Segal, a semi-autobiographical scenario. Marshall provided some of the cleverest moments in the movie here with satirical quips at the crime television genre, of which she was a rising star. The scenes, I suspect, are cringe-worthy for David Caruso of "CSI Miami," unless he can laugh at his own career choices as Bell does in this film, where a direct reference is made to her performance in the Japanese remake, box office flop "Pulse."
Unfortunately for the pair, Bretter retreats to Hawaii to forget Marshall, only to discover her vacationing with her new boyfriend Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) at the same resort. Mila Kunis, known to many as Jackie Burkhart of "That '70s Show" and Meg Griffin of "Family Guy," was a ray of sunshine as the flawed but passionate Rachel Jansen, an employee of the resort that sets the scene. Genre collaborative favorites Jonah Hill ("Superbad") and Paul Rudd ("Knocked Up") make appearances as an Aldous Snow-obsessed aspiring musician and a burnt-out surf instructor, respectively.
Group interaction of the four main characters provided some of the best scenes, complemented by slightly odd cameos that help Bretter and Marshall gain much needed perspective on the pitfalls of their relationship. An unexpected mutual understanding, even appreciation, burgeons between Snow and Bretter, and both characters developed sufficiently to embrace their weaknesses and love them anyway.
About the time the characters finally figured out who they were supposed to end up with, I'd predicted the straightforward ending from the get-go and "wrap it up" signs started flashing in my head. Fortunately, I didn't give up altogether, as one of the biggest laughs of the movie is held to the end. Segal draws from his self-proclaimed identification with the classic "Dracula" and love for puppets, culminating in Bretter performing a "Gothic Neil Diamond" rendition of a musical inspired by the Bram Stoker literary classic.
Overall, the movie was thoroughly enjoyable and certainly targeted to an audience with a collegiate mentality, but the film is likely to achieve a wider fan base than "Superbad" simply because it is slightly more mature. If it hadn't been for the dwindling energy during some of Bretter's grieving and again toward the end when the audience had figured it all out, it may have indeed been one of the best comedies of the decade. However, as with the characters, the flaws are forgivable and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" won't soon be forgotten.
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