There are only so many times I can say the same thing: the folks from Apatow Productions are good at what they do. Not only have Judd Apatow and crew altered the romantic comedy to adhere to the tastes of a male crowd, but they've done it using the same method seen in Knocked Up - a hilarious leading man who is atypical to conventional Hollywood productions. In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, writer/star Jason Segel and first-time director Nicholas Stoller have created a piece that's a bit less raunchy and a bit more touching than previous films under the Apatow banner. I'll risk the backlash and declare this to be the funniest film of the year so far.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall begins with a breakup. An awkward breakup. Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), star of the hit TV series Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime, comes home one day and breaks up with her musician boyfriend Peter Bretter (Segel) as he stands stark naked in their living room. She leaves him for Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), the vapid lead-singer of the band Infant Sorrow with a laid back attitude and no filter between what his mind thinks and his mouth says. Attempts by Peter to put Sarah behind him with promiscuity simply result in uncontrollable fits of crying and it's his brother, Brian (Bill Hader), who finally convinces him to take a vacation to Hawaii.
The Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu is the beautiful island getaway where Peter ends up but it has one problem: Sarah and Aldous have picked that exact resort for their vacation as well. However, there may be a solution to that problem - Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis), the beautiful, carefree receptionist at Turtle Bay who attempts to inspire him to follow his dream of creating a Dracula musical with puppets and who, like him, is recovering from her own heartache.
After Walk Hard, Apatow vowed to feature at least one penis in each film he directs or produces. Forgetting Sarah Marshall has two as bookends, both courtesy of Jason Segel. But, while others may write it off for being disgusting and awkward, it should be considered a testament to the believable character Segal wrote for himself. That's not to say every man is so quick to drop his drawers but every man has his intricacies, his minutiae, his "isms" in relationships that may seem weird to some, but relatable to others. Peter's awkward behavior and altogether doughy physique make him an everyman, straying away from the prototypical hot, confident male lead. Peter's a regular guy who struggles with his emotions and motivations just like the rest of us regular guys and it's this ability to relate to him which make his struggles and successes all the more engaging.
Segel's supporting cast is impressive as well. Kristen Bell's Sarah Marshall is written and performed in such a way that she strays away from the one-dimensional, shallow ex-girlfriend archetype. We believe her, maybe even sympathize with her, but we're just so caught up in Peter that we have to root against her. Mila Kunis proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that she can handle the reins of being a leading lady. She's sexy, she's energetic, and she's able to effectively convey enough warmth to melt hearts and enough hurt to break them. Russell Brand, apparently quite the comedic name in England, steals the show in virtually every scene in which he's featured with his casual delivery of gut-bustingly hilarious lines. The usual suspects of the Apatow troupe pop up to great comedic effect as well: Jonah Hill (Superbad) plays a waiter with a man-crush on Aldous, Paul Rudd (40 Year Old Virgin) makes an appearance as a burnt-out surf instructor, and even writer/star Segel (Freaks and Geeks) and director Stoller (Undeclared) were regulars for past Apatow productions.
With a great story and a great cast this film fires on all cylinders. Critics who found Superbad and Knocked Up to be mysoginistic will discover that they've run out of ammo here. It's only a matter of time before the raunchy comedies - the calling card of Apatow Productions - will run their course. Film, like anything, is cyclical and it won't be long before they go the way of the Westerns or the Torture Porns. But while Apatow and his boys are in the limelight, they're producing some fine material that appeals to both sexes.
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