The Observer, April 18, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 25
Judd Apatow escapes from rut with Forgetting Sarah Marshall
New York native Judd Apatow seemed to do no wrong this past summer, with his twin comedies Knocked Up and Superbad grossing close to $300 million, blazing past most (if not all) of the competition. Throw in his previous résumé of mega comedic hits, including Anchorman, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Talladega Nights, and therein lies the source of all the hype. Critics and audiences alike have put Apatow on a seemingly untouchable pedestal, as his seamless blend of R-rated raunch and wholesome thematic material breathed life into the romantic comedy, the teen comedy, and adult comedy all at once. ABC News reported that 2008 looks to be his "second coming," as Apatow is the driving force behind five new movies, interspersed throughout the spring, summer, and fall to give him a year-long monopoly on the box office as well as in the hearts of critics. Simply put, Judd Apatow is fast-becoming the director of our generation.
But hold on just a minute. Perhaps all the praise is a bit premature. For instance, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Apatow's last film of 2007, a mock biopic released at the end of December, proceeded to flop hard, as it barely grossed half of its production budget. Furthermore, the first of his six films this year, Drillbit Taylor, released in March, proved to be a rather humorless copycat of Superbad, as a fat kid-with-an-afro and his meek-and-skinny-but-cute friend faced issues in high school, again. Naturally, one has to question the "second coming" tagline after these two successive strikes. Apatow has fans and critics alike wondering if he has run out of his movie-making magic.
Enter Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film, Judd Apatow's second release of the year, features relatively unknown 28-year-old Jason Segel, who worked with Apatow in the short-lived television sitcoms Freaks and Geeks and had Undeclared in the lead role. Concurrently, Segel penned the screenplay, giving him a surprising amount of control for a Universal Pictures film going nationwide on the cusp of summer. Throw in the fact that Harvard grad Nicholas Stoller is making his directorial debut, and you have a rather risky endeavor for Judd Apatow, even riskier given his two misfires leading into the crucial summer season.
Not to worry.
While it may be a bit soon to crown Judd Apatow king, he once again delivers with a fresh, hip, yet remarkably genuine film in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. While the film will win over dirty young minds with its graphic nudity, witty sexual scenarios, and applause-inducing one-liners, what stands out is an effective fictional portrayal of finding confidence within while finding love in the most unexpected places, even after hitting rock bottom. The plot revolves around slacker Peter Brenner (Segel), a casual musician who composes the music for Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime, a primetime television show staring his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When she breaks up with him, Peter finds himself alone, proceeding to crawl into a perpetual state of self-pity. To get over the break-up, he heads to Hawaii to have some alone time, only to be put into the room next to Sarah, who is now getting royally pummeled by British-rocker boyfriend, Aldous (snarky British comedian Russell Brand, who is even more of an outrageous womanizer in real life). When things seem to keep going wrong, Peter meets gorgeous resort employee Rachel, played by Mila Kunis of That' 70s Show and Family Guy. The connection (and resulting jealousy from Sarah) creates an amusing scenario that plays out rather wonderfully.
Mila Kunis really stands out in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. With her Jackie Burkhart character on That 70's Show perhaps standing as the most annoying fictional character of all time, she is remarkable as Rachel Jansen, portraying a laid-back, fun, and mature woman who has just enough sexiness in her to pull Peter out of his funk. Now 24 years old, Mila Kunis embodies all that is woman, commanding the screen with her confidence and charm.
Jokingly called "Mutombo" (in reference to 7'2" NBA star Dikembe Mutombo) at one point in the movie, Segel is at least a head above most of his fellow actors. He exudes a cool confidence that kind of undermines the "broken heart" he is supposed to have as Peter Brenner.
There is not much to cry about with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The setting is beautiful, taking place in Hawaii with rich, lush colors splashed on screen. Local Hawaiians are portrayed with respect and care, injecting humorous sidenotes to the complaints and questions of Peter Brenner. The humor, thankfully, is back on course for an Apatow film, with enough vulgarity to satisfy the urges of an all-boys high school. The sounds, gags, and raunch really drive the film, and really will generate the big bucks for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Paul Rudd, perhaps better known as Pete from Knocked Up or Mike Hannigan from Friends, delivers one line in response to an injured Aldous on the beach that had the entire audience applauding with laughter. Expect at least three of these instances throughout the movie. Words cannot do the comedy justice.
Vulgarity is funny, but diminishes at some point through the course of a two-hour film. Where so many films trip up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall really soars, crafting engaging lead and side characters that are adequately developed, hence allowing the film and the story to resonate with audiences. The film is beautifully produced and cut, providing a clean, fun experience for all those involved. You will leave the theater, fresh from 110 minutes of vulgarity, sex, bodily fluids, and more, feeling rather warm and fuzzy. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is easily the best romantic comedy of the year and maybe one of the best films of 2008.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall will be shown at every major theater in Cleveland, including Shaker Square Cinemas, Regal Cinemas Richmond Town Square, Cinemark at Valley View, Cinemark 10, and more.
