Don’t Forget Sarah Marshall!
For the sake of spreading “good buzz” for a really funny movie that deserves some box-office longevity, I’d like to throw my support behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It was the #2 movie over the weekend (behind the mildly-recommended Forbidden Kingdom), but I’m hoping it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle over the next few weeks. The theater I saw it in was packed, and the response was overwhelmingly positive — like, laughing over jokes positive. The story was uneven, and was really nothing more than a series of scenes bunched together to milk the max comedic potential from the premise, but it doesn’t matter. Everyone in this movie delivered. Jason Segel — yes, he was mopey, but it didn’t reach annoying heights. He wrote a really funny script that’s tailored to his abilities, and it pays off. It’s very strange because, like all Apatow movies, it’s almost like you’re entering an alternate universe, because no one is playing the role they should be. The star of the movie looks like a dude you might actually know in real life. That adds a special quality that helps elevate these comedies above their contemporaries.
The rest of the supporting cast is stellar, with the exception of Jack McBrayer. I love him on 30 Rock, but his character here seemed a little out of place and shocking for the sake of shock. But Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Mila Kunis — they all make the most of their screen time. And the Dracula finale is the strangest placement of a musical in a movie since “Sweeney Todd” in Jersey Girl. And yes, there is male nudity. Twice. It was outrageous and effective the first time. The second time, it was overkill. But hey, it’s at the end of the movie, and by that point, you’re willing to forgive anything, happy that you just laughed for two hours at a legitimate comedy.
If you haven’t seen this movie, go! It’s severely entertaining.
