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Producer and sometime director Judd Apatow has now concreted a brand in Hollywood. Along with his cohorts, usual suspects such as Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen who are seemingly present in every one of his films simply undertaking slightly different wacky roles, the filmmaker has become the Pixar of comedies tinged in reality in the last few years. Well, his works are not always exactly masterpieces like the Californian geniuses produce but they should be highly commended for maintaining a constant level of quality - Knocked Up, Superbad and The 40 Year Old Virgin have all greatly blipped on the laugh-o-meter.
When butter-wouldn't-melt television star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) decides to chuck genuine nice guy composer Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) in favour of pompous rock star Aldous Snow (a surprisingly tolerable Russell Brand), things become grim for the distraught music man who convinces himself he has lost the love of his life. Bretter decides to vacation in Hawaii after his stepbrother Brian, an always reliable Bill Hader, recommends he should get away from his cereal eating, slob living, daytime television watching ways, but unfortunately for him the two people he is trying to avoid are holidaying in the same exquisite resort. This premise sounds very stereotypical for the rom-com canon but with director Stoller illustrating he has the same talent for intelligent comic timing and taste as Apatow, viewers are in for a treat. With Mila Kunis' (the shrieky one from That '70s Show) amazingly beautiful Rachel as a new love interest, Jonah Hill's extremely irritating waiter, and Paul Rudd's hilarious surfing stoner, witticisms are fired like bullets in the typical heart-warming/disgusting balance we have come to expect from Apatow's clique.
Segel is the highlight of the admirable performances in addition to being at the centre of the narrative, with his uproarious penis-shaking exploits contrasting with the more heartfelt moments of his romantic pain perfectly. The duality of his character is loosely reminiscent of Jonah Hill's Seth from Superbad - the foundation of the characters is based on forgiveness and moving on in life despite emotional setbacks and hilarious set-ups they constantly encounter in their innocent endeavours. Segel, who also wrote the ammunition which causes the constant humour, is unnecessarily unfocused as a character at times and the whole episode is possibly a tad overlong for some tastes, but the mixture of raunchy jokes and human sympathy is a daring concoction which works. Also, who doesn't love a William Baldwin cameo making fun of Law & Order and Crime Scene Investigations, Russell Brand making fun of his own real-life persona, and a beautiful Kristen Bell making fun of the farce of celebrity culture in the 21st century? The story of Sarah Marshall's love life is too good to forget.
The summary
Regardless of the engaging emotional arc, Forgetting Sarah Marshall actually plays like a pleasurable tropical holiday with marvellously hilarious occurrences galore.
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