Judd Apatow's comedies are always watchable and sometimes hilarious, but with the latest to emerge under his aegis, I have to admit it is getting harder to defend them against the charge of misogyny.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:171
Fresh:143
Rotten:28
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: With ample laughs and sharp performances, Forgetting Sarah Marshall finds just the right mix of romantic and raunchy comedy.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:23-04-2008
Synopsis: Nicholas Stoller's FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL is a romantic disaster comedy produced by the same team that made such hits as THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP, headed by writer, director, and... Nicholas Stoller's FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL is a romantic disaster comedy produced by the same team that made such hits as THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP, headed by writer, director, and producer Judd Apatow. When he gets suddenly and unceremoniously dumped by his longtime girlfriend, television star Sarah Marshall (VERONICA MARS lead Kristen Bell), composer Peter Bretter (FREAKS AND GEEKS alum Jason Segel) is devastated. Miserably depressed, he seeks solace in tawdry one-night stands, but he is desperate to win Sarah back. On the advice of his stepbrother, Brian (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE's Bill Hader), Peter heads off to Hawaii for a much-needed vacation, but he gets even more freaked out when he discovers that Sarah and her new beau, wild and wacky British singing sensation Aldous Snow (comedian Russell Brand), are staying there as well. Mired in sadness, Peter is befriended by hotel employee Rachel Jansen (THAT '70S SHOW's Mila Kunis), who encourages him to get back his life and pursue his own dreams, which include staging a Dracula musical with puppets. But Peter is blinded by his desire for Sarah even as he grows closer to Rachel and starts hanging out with some of the hotel's odder personalities, including Chuck (Paul Rudd), a drug-addled surf instructor, and Matthew (SUPERBAD's Jonah Hill), a drug-dealing restaurant worker obsessed with Snow. Segel, who gets fully naked several times in the film, wrote the screenplay, a sharp blend of comedy and drama, and is solid in his first major starring role. Stoller, making his feature-film directorial debut, gets the most out of his diverse cast and beautiful setting, especially Jack McBrayer and Maria Thayer as a newlywed couple having some bizarre sexual problems, and Billy Baldwin as Sarah's costar in the television show CRIME SCENE: SCENE OF THE CRIME. FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL is an outrageously funny yet touchingly sweet movie. [More]
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Paul Rudd, Jack McBrayer, Jonah Hill
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Screenwriter: Jason Segel
Producer: Judd Apatow, Shauna Robertson
Composer: Lyle Workman
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Indeed, the film never veers into arch territory, possessing such affection for its characters that not one of them, not even Sarah Marshall, comes off as the bad guy.
‘Sarah Marshall’ remains a film of glorious moments and memorable scenes, lovingly crafted characters and sparkling one-liners.
A tropical sex comedy that’s a little unfocused, but Segal and co throw plenty of funniness at the wall - and most of it sticks.
Enjoyable comedy with a smart script and likeable performances from all four leads.
Besides being hilariously funny, it's also rather insightful, with some very smart dialog.
The comic effect goes limp fast and has little to do with the effort of Segel’s Pete to win back the girlfriend of the title (Kristen Bell).
Ok, I give up. The Slackers win. In the last ten years, the Republican Party has had its revenge, the Nerds have had their revenge, and now the Slackers stand sloppy and tall. I stand poleaxed. The latest beating inflicted on my psyche is by Forgetting
For a film that's been lauded for its daring display of full-frontal male nudity, I got the nagging feeling that it actually played things pretty safe.
...ultimately comes off as an affable piece of work that benefits from the uniformly engaging performances and inclusion of several genuinely hilarious bits of comedic silliness.
At its heart, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is about heartbreak, heartache, and all the other emotions that most men spend the majority of their energy trying to repress in an effort to appear strong.
It's got an engaging cast and enough laughs to compensate for some shortcomings.
With pratfalls, yucks, a crying jag, and what is starting to seem like the requisite flash of nudity, Jason Segel becomes this year's adorably hapless movie schlub.
A sort of Hollywood version we'll refer to here as Naked Boy Singing, just leave it at that, Forgetting Sarah Marshall has the fingerprints of Judd Apatow all over it, enough said.
Beneath all the hysterics, top notch comedy, and hilarious turns from Apatow vets, there's a definitely gripping romance that audiences will respond to if they allow it...
Breaking up is hard to do when you're wearing nothing but a pout and were just regaling your soon-to-be-ex with a celebratory wang-flapping to welcome her home.
Latest News for Forgetting Sarah Marshall
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September 29, 2008:
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