After being dumped by his actress girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) travels to Hawaii for some R&R.
However, worse luck. Sarah has booked into the exact same resort at the exact same time with her new boyfriend Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Peter's response? To unravel quicker than a chewed up mix tape.
This is star Segel's first produced screenplay, based it on his own experiences of splitting with "ER" regular Linda Cardellini. She didn't go off with Russell Brand though.
They say:
Variety: "Chick flick sweetness with side orders of slapstick and showbiz satire."
Empire: "Segal and co throw plenty of funniness at the wall - and most of it sticks."
Rolling Stone: "Goes out with a whimper when you so want a bang."
We say:
How can an out of shape man crying in the nude not be hilarious? It should be hilarious - it looked hilarious on the trailer.
Jason Segel doesn't shirk from making himself appear as unattractive as possible. He even slaps it from side to side against his legs. That should be hilarious - it should be, but it just wasn't.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is like this all the way through. Jokes that must have read hysterically on paper (and in the case of the aforementioned flappy penis, actually happened) merely linger, stagnating, waiting for a punchline.
This is largely the fault of first time director Nicholas Stoller - he grinds every scene as flat as an oatmeal pancake. The reveal of Sarah Marshall at the same hotel as Peter for example - she just strolls into the scene and we're there. No build, no tease, just another wasted moment.
And CSI spoof 'Crime Story' with Billy Baldwin as 'Detective Hunter Rush'? That should have killed.
Jason Segel must have a higher opinion of himself than Woody Allen. Early on he has a succession of stunning dates - later two attractive women are fighting over him. It is all a bit of a stretch as he looks like a six foot toddler. He is not especially comedic either.
Apart from humiliating himself in the buff, Segel remains a sharper writer than performer. Still, against all expectations, Russell Brand is a hoot - bringing to life a witty, refreshingly sympathetic rogue. He's the type of man who can wear leather pants in the tropics and not sweat and that's gotta take more than just talcum powder.
Mila Kunis plays the most perfect girlfriend since Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary and Kristen Bell plays the bitch. Despite the flimsier role, it's Kunis who wins the battle. With Bell you may be wondering why Peter is so broken up about losing her at all. Neither girl gets much amusing to say or do though - unless you consider unusual sexual positions or spontaneous swimming a blast, which you might.
A lack of belly laughs would be acceptable if the story was up to scratch, yet little in Forgetting Sarah Marshall feels natural. Peter trundles along with no clear goal, leading events to inadvertently happen rather than evolve. The morality of the ending is bizarre too - it's not cheating if you can't get it up? That makes a lot of sense. 'I know I tried to kill you, but it turns out the gun was empty. Are we cool?'
Paul Rudd's surfing instructor ("You sound like you're from lahhndaann!"), Brand, the gorgeous Kunis and a couple of clever webcam quips cannot hide the simple fact that this film is not as funny as it thinks it is.
Disappointing is the word here. As disappointing as Christmas.
CAST
Jason Segel
Kristen Bell
Mila Kunis
Russell Brand
Paul Rudd
DIRECTOR
Nicholas Stoller
TIME
112 mins
POSTED...
Tue 29 Apr at 12:43am
