Movie Review
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This Week's PCR Movie Review |
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"Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
Movie review by: Movies are rated 0 to 4 stars
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| MOVIE REVIEW "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" by Mike Smith | |||
| RETRORAMA H.G. Lewis: The Monster A Go-Go Interview by ED Tucker | |||
| FILMLOOK How a Tampa Attorney Became Hollywood's Hottest Screenwriter by Paul Guzzo | |||
| SPORTS TALK Third Inning by Chris Munger | |||
| MATT'S RAIL My Buddy Glen .... Just Bad Reporting? .... Kansas City, Kansas City Here I Come... .... by Matt Drinnenberg | |||
| MIKE'S RANT I Hear You're Getting Married .... Hope He Doesn't Pull A Hammy .... Ok, Now I'm Psyched .... The Week The Music Died .... Chuck .... .... .... .... And The Oscar For 1976 Should Have Gone To... by Mike Smith | |||
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Words of wisdom: if you want to be in a movie, write one. Don’t believe me? Ask Sylvester Stallone, who turned down $250,000 for his script to “Rocky.” Insisting that he play the title role, Sly was paid a total of $20,000.00 for his writing and acting talent. Ask Matt Damon and Ben Afleck, who went from small bit players to major stars when they wrote “Good Will Hunting.” Filmmaker Judd Apatow gave these same wise words to the young members of his “Freaks and Geeks” cast. Since then, Seth Rogen has become a star, thanks to such films as “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.” Now Jason Segel climbs another rung up the ladder with his very funny film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Sarah Marshall (Bell) is the hottie crime scene investigator in one of the most popular shows on television. Her boyfriend, Peter (Segel) does the music for the show. Well, not really music. His job consists of adding “ominous tones” at the right time to set the action. One day while stepping out of the shower, Peter is told by Sarah that she is dumping him. Dropping his towel, Peter begs for another chance, only to be told it’s over. After a few agonizing weeks of one night stands, Peter decides he needs to clear his head and heads for the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Upon arrival at his chosen tropical hideout, Peter learns that Sarah and her new boyfriend are staying at the same resort. What to do. Will Peter bolt or try his best to forget Sarah? What would you do?
A ringing success, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” reminds us that films like “Knocked Up” and “Superbad,” films that seem both sweet and loving and rude and vulgar, can tell a story and have a happy ending. The situations in the script are daringly personal. Even the opening break-up scene, which gives audiences a peek at another staple of the Judd Apatow family, the naked man, is most appropriate because when is a man most vulnerable then when he’s naked. In his first starring movie role, Segel proves himself quite likeable on screen. Peter runs the gamut of emotions, from devastated to happy, and Segel nails them all. Bell and Kunis, as Peter’s past and future loves, are not only beautiful but have a terrific sense of comic timing. Add to the mix a procession of “regulars” from the Apatow family (Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader) and you’ve hit the comic jackpot. And give special recognition to British stand-up comedian Brand, whose performance as self-absorbed rock star (and Sarah’s new lover) Aldous Snow is star making.
Like “Knocked Up” and “Superbad” before it, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is a return to the rarest of adult comedies, one with a heart. On a scale of zero to four stars I give “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”
This week's movie review of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is ©2008 by Michael A. Smith. All graphics this page are creations of Nolan B. Canova, ©2008, all rights reserved. All contents of "Nolan's Pop Culture Review" are ©2008 by Nolan B. Canova.
