Now
here’s one for the books - a romantic comedy that features
more male nudity than female, complete with flashes of Jason Segal’s
least photographed parts. In fact a lot of gags in the amusing
farce Forgetting Sarah Marshall are based on penis humour,
along with a fair share of verbal jokes. This is yet another movie
from the Judd Apatow team, their string of box office successes
fuelling enthusiasm to make more pop comedies of the Knocked
Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin calibre.
Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) surely is having a rotten
time. Not doing especially well, this struggling composer of music
for his girlfriend’s TV show, would rather be working on
his pet hobby, “Dracula The Musical”. Even worse,
his lovely celebrity star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell)
becomes smitten by sex-radiating dimwit British rock star Aldous
Snow (Russell Brand). Pretty cut up at losing his idolised lady,
Peter (after a couple of depressing one night stands and a nervous
breakdown) takes an impulsive holiday to an upmarket beach resort
in Oahu, Hawaii, encouraged by his interfering brother (Bill Hader).
He’s dismayed to find his ex and the rocker boyfriend are
staying at the same five-star hotel. The hotel receptionist, stunner
Racheal (Mila Kunis), takes pity on him and tries to bring him
out of his funk. In doing so, they become close and complications
arise when Peter and Racheal are invited to have dinner with Sarah
and Aldous. All roads seem to lead to disaster.
This generally amusing look at relationships certainly
has its funny moments, and some heartfelt ones as the couples
head into romantic confusion.
Jason Segal (Knocked Up) who also penned
the script is one of those likable faces on the screen, a typical
nice-guy of the Steve Carell variety. It’s hard for him
to place a foot wrong, even if he does have a couple of full frontal
nude shots. Segal manages the sad sack role well enough and milks
it for as much emotion as he can.
But the laurels go to Russell Brand (St. Trinians)
his take on the rock star is so good as to be real, and carrying
off the best scenes in the film with his charismatic portrayal.
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars - TV) is acceptable as the
self-interested failing TV star, while Mila Kunis (Boot Camp
- TV) has looks which will appeal to males in the audience and
brings the required sizzle to her role.
Cameos by Jonah Hill as an over-enthusiastic waiter
aspiring to be a singer forever hounding the rock star, and Paul
Rudd as a groggy surf instructor are neat side bars - plus a snippet
by William Baldwin as Sarah’s co-star in the satire rip-off
of a TV crime show. The ending featuring “Dracula The Musical”
turns out to be an ingenious and funny highlight, so you leave
the cinema on a high note.
Nick Stroller’s competent direction generally
keeps the pace rolling along with just a couple of slack patches,
and manages more appeal from the characters than one might expect.
You could think the whole excursion is a bit of a contra junket
for the cast and crew, staying at the luxury hotel in such pleasant
surroundings would not be too hard to take. Certainly the camera
makes the most of the idyllic location.
Theatrical trailer
for the movie
The result is typical of Apatow’s influence
on the script and production; cheerfully bawdy with a sugary romantic
underbelly, a dash of slapstick and risky verbal gags that often
hit the mark. In a word, what the box office demands and gets.
Billy Wilder it’s not, but those out there who liked Knocked
Up won’t be disappointed .
Now
here’s one for the books - a romantic comedy that features
more male nudity than female, complete with flashes of Jason Segal’s
least photographed parts. In fact a lot of gags in the amusing
farce Forgetting Sarah Marshall are based on penis humour,
along with a fair share of verbal jokes. This is yet another movie
from the Judd Apatow team, their string of box office successes
fuelling enthusiasm to make more pop comedies of the Knocked
Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin calibre.