Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis)

If you know anything about this film or have read any reviews/interviews/synopses you will probably know that writer and star of the film, Jason Segel, appears naked. Full frontal naked, showing his penis in all it’s glory. The suggestion that a naked man crying having just had the love of his life (who he has been in a relationship for 5 years) leave him at the moment he stands clothe less in front of her as he suggests hot sex as being absolutely hilarious sets the tone for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Clever this is not. Witty? Not at all. Vulgar humour is where it is at for most of the 2 hours that this films stretches to. Most, because as with far too many Hollywood films emotion, morals and a sense of doing the right thing appears to be what the big studios wants at the moment.

Segel plays Peter Bretter: the struggling slob of a musician who, having been unceremoniously dumped by his TV star girlfriend for an English rock star, flies to Hawaii to get over the break up. There (of course!) he bumps into said ex-girlfriend (played by Veronica Mars star, Kristen Bell) and her new man (Russell Brand). Bretter manages to secure himself an amazing hotel suite free of charge when a beautiful receptionist at the hotel (Mila Kunis) takes pity on him. Could this film actually get any cheesier? The awkwardness of this foursome being forced to live in such close proximity to each other opens up the chance for many comedy moments.

This film is billed as “from the producers of The 40 Year Old Virgin and “Knocked Up”, and it really does nothing to try to move away from the humour of these films. Why should it? They were successful and made those involved a whole chunk of money. Brainless comedies have been with us for decades and will remain with us for many more because they are proven money spinners. Smaller roles in Forgetting Sarah Marshall are taken by stars of these other comedies. This is a comic Brat Pack for the 21st Century. However, whilst for many people formulaic comedy is a must see, I find the unoriginal script just a little dull.

Being 112 minutes, this film is long. Very long. Cut 20 minutes of the emotional crap out and this would have been a whole heap better and far funnier. It says a lot when Russell Brand is the funniest person in the film, and he is simply playing himself. His performance is hardly scintillating and despite being lauded by many reviews, I thought the most interesting part of Brand’s role was the fact he played the ridiculously named Aldous Snow. The characters remain very one dimensional and so it is quite hard to feel any kind of empathy for any of them, and some of the smaller parts are merely annoying (such as Chuck, an aging hippy surf instructor played by Paul Rudd). Ultimately though, it is the incessant desire to point out the moral dilemmas of the situations the main characters find themselves in and worse, the need to analyse the characters emotions that prevents this from being truly amusing. It is unnecessary and detracts from what should have been a far funnier film.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall has received rave reviews in many publications for reasons unknown to me. It is certainly not dreadful but it is also not the side-splitting entertainment that I had hoped for. However, perhaps I have a minority view here as the films scores an impressive 8.3/10 from over 7000 votes currently cast on IMDB and it certainly has received some cracking reviews. The fact that some reviews have focused on the suggestion that Segal had the guts to appear fully naked is funnier to me than much of this film. With lines such as, “I like her red hair. I wonder if the carpet matches the pubes”, this probably tells you as much as you need to know about the humour of the film. I did laugh and this is by no means a bad film at all, but it did drag. Thinking the film was surely nearly over, I checked my watch and realised there was an hour left. Not a good sign at all. If you enjoy lame brained comedies then this fits right in and maybe sometimes brainless humour is what we all need.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is on general release from 25 April

Official site and trailer

CHUCK LIDELOL · 24th April 2008, 7:54pm

Russell Brand is rules.

Posh · 24th April 2008, 7:56pm

Fucksake, Holly - calm down with the commas!

This film is a poor mans 'that two-parter of Frasier where Lilith and her new husband are coincidentally booked into the room next door to Dr Crane and his new shag'.

Draven · 24th April 2008, 9:27pm

Have to say, this film looks gash. I hate braindead American comedies and point blank refuse to go see them.

Only exception to the rule was Napoleon Dynamite, but that was just weird, which made it good.

unkle markus · 24th April 2008, 9:54pm

If Kirsten Bell doesn't Monoblog then its not worth it.

Wicked · 25th April 2008, 9:35am

I thought it was excellent but then I liked Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin. I dont understand why people would go and see it then complain that it is like those movies. Of course it is. Thats part of the appeal.

MarkMono · 25th April 2008, 9:39am

The name Aldous Snow is the best thing connected in any way with this movie.

If it wasn't associated with Russo Brand I'd be foisting it on my firstborn.

Bunnylingus · 25th April 2008, 1:04pm

Im gonna go see this when Im hungover - looks like amazing trash.

but I fucking hate russell brand.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 25th April 2008, 2:29pm

Brand is great, I won't hear any argument.

Bunnylingus · 25th April 2008, 2:31pm

He sucks, and is only funny when accompanied by noel fielding.

He called his fucking autobiography 'My booky wook'.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 25th April 2008, 2:33pm

Yep, he's a jokey, he's zany, he's wacky! He's basically everything I should hate, but I don't. I can't help it, he's charming and intelligent (when he wants to be). I need to read his book. I can absolutely see why people would hate him, I did too before I paid any attention to him.

Jenpot · 25th April 2008, 2:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnylingus

He sucks, and is only funny when accompanied by noel fielding.

True story. Ah, Noel Fielding

Bunnylingus · 25th April 2008, 2:38pm

You shouldnt, but oh my, you would.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 25th April 2008, 2:46pm

See, I can't stand Fielding! Only seen one episode of the Boosh though. Hated him in Nathan Barley.

Devastator · 25th April 2008, 6:37pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draven

Have to say, this film looks gash. I hate braindead American comedies and point blank refuse to go see them.

Only exception to the rule was Napoleon Dynamite, but that was just weird, which made it good.

Slightly off-topic but Napoleon Dynamite is the exact opposite of films like this, that's the whole point of it.

Going to see this tonight YEAH.