Forgetting Sarah Marshall — dvd movie review
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell
Genre: Comedy
“Doo doo papers”. I knew some guys that actually called toilet paper just that. “Doo doo papers”. And Forgetting Sarah Marshall included this indigenous (yet I must say rarely used) term in a fight scene. Being slightly keen on Hawaiian vernacular and altruistic lifestyles, touching upon the Locals vs. Tourists tip, and the absurdity and evil necessity of the Hawaiian tourism industry, is just one of the reasons why I was actually impressed with Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
With a pretty consistent heavy heartache thread supplemented with quirky optimism, oddball twists and complications, Forgetting Sarah Marshall clues you in to the despair main character (and double-duty screenwriter Jason Segel) Peter Bretter feels, just enough to supply contrast and set-ups for his new romance and comic relief.
And British comedian Russell Brand proffers plenty of comic relief portraying sexually-charged rockstar Aldous Snow, who steals Peter’s beau Sarah Marshall, doi, (Kristen Bell) and also steals the show. Rather than the expected scapegoat, he winds up being the most refreshing character, more down-to-earth than his music videos would suggest (humping nuns!), but in a spacey way, surreptitiously mixing philosophical/superficial airs while nixing moral platitude. He whisks Sarah off to Hawai’i where they keep running into Peter, who has taken a vacation to convalesce his broken heart.
Good thing the super cute and heterochromic (eyes of different colors) Mila Kunis pops in as Peter’s new love interest, spunky as ever. Her impulsive character is an apt opposite to Peter’s depressive procrastination-prone state, and both help each other to realize their individual future goals are attainable (how sweet) before they realize a future with each other will end before it begins (very sour). Oh, and that’s a body double for Mila’s topless polaroid scene; sorry to disappoint. That’s all Segel, however, all three times, lending theory to why he chose the name “Peter” for his character.
Kristen Bell mainly hangs around for eye candy, but does seething scenes well enough and her mock television crime drama has gobs of over-the-top goofiness. As circumstances leading to their break-up are slowly revealed amidst clever cute flashbacks of happier times, leading to a passionate explanation, your heart may soften for her hardships, adding to the thread of relationship realism in this seemingly crazy comedy.
Paul Rudd looked so “normal” I didn’t even recognize him as a surfing instructor who was supposed to be an aging pothead yet Rudd ironically looked younger than he ever has. Maybe because he ditched his curly partial-mullet? Jonah Hill is an Aldous Snow superfan brimming borderline homosexuality with his obsession. Not the funniest character, but he helps to springboard Aldous’ success in our eyes, and also lends appropriately impolite reprieve to Hill’s usual staunch stoic pseudo-macho-ism, proving you should never star in your friend’s movie. Rounding out the vacation scene is a recently married and utterly homely virgin couple blatantly divulging the joys of marital bliss for the Top Ten tales of carnal knowledge you’d rather left untapped. The clueless husband asks Aldous for a sex lesson on the beach while one of my favorite songs by Astrud Gilberto plays in the background.
Now here’s where I’m unsure if this is due to Segel’s writing or if Bill Hader usually ad-libs in other movies like Superbad or Tropic Thunder, but in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as Peter’s step-brother, he was actually bearable. He’s usually the guy I initially feel sympathy for, like, oh he got the bland jokes again, which quickly turns to bubbling anger, vicious, foaming “stop talking you!” anger!!! Grrrr!
Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s realism and cute factor are spot on and just something I can’t resist. The ultimate message for the movie is that every character deals with their insecurity and has to weed through other people’s insincerity. A simple approach delivered in a warm, amiable package.
DVD EXTRAS include an Aldous Snow music video and a mockumentary of Peter’s dracula musical which was an real-life serious seven-year-long dream of a 21 to 28-ish year-old Segel. The extra seven minutes for the extended version are not worth it; mostly a hotel yoga instructor that never hits the mark nor the funny bone. There is, however, a quick clip of Catherine Keener as a stewardess that was cut. Lovers’ spats and actor ad-libs round out the bonus features.
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