There has been a recurring theme in comedic movies as of late, and that is the aspect of realistic dialogue and reactions to otherwise unbelievable storylines. Spurred on by the recent successes of such movies as “Knocked Up” and “Superbad” comes the latest in the trend of witty banter and realism amid absurdity: “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is directed by Nicholas Stoller, a relative unknown to the directing scene. His past work in movies mostly revolves around writing.
The movie is written by Jason Segel, who also stars as the movie’s protagonist: It is the sweet, na’ve, yet tragically depressed Peter Bretter.
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” details the coping process Bretter must endure after his girlfriend for five years and fabulously popular Sarah Marshal (played by Kristen Bell), breaks up with him.
Bretter eventually decides to travel to Hawaii in an attempt to unwind and try to forget about his problems. He’s completely unaware that Marshall has traveled to the exact same resort on vacation with her new boyfriend, a delightfully scathing Bono caricature Aldous Snow (played by Russell Brand).
The movie itself is quite well done and manages to deliver its humor in a graceful manner without being too hackneyed. The characterization present in the movie seems inconsistent though, and despite the fact that the main characters manage to become very dynamic, realistic people, many of the supporting characters seem to be absurd and quite over-the-top.
The direction and mood presented in the movie is adequate, and while it doesn’t hinder with the overall storytelling, at the same time, it feels a little raw and unpolished.
It seems that the director didn’t quite know how to portray certain feelings. However, the lack of mood altering music or colors did allow the natural flow of the movie to play out to its fullest.
While the jokes in the movie have the tendency to be on the better half of clean, there are some rather crude spikes of humor present, including several glimpses of male genitalia.
Barring all of the negativity, though, the movie still proves to be a very enjoyable experience and well worth the trip to the theaters to see. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” stands solidly on its two feet and provides the audience with an authentic breakup story as well as fresh, well-delivered humor.
Unforgettable new comedy hits theaters
April 22, 2008
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