DVD Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

By Shrivika Ramaswamy
December 13, 2008

Do not watch this movie with your mother. If it isn't for the raunchy and suggestive humor laced with double entendres and obvious references to marijuana, the unexpected male nudity will probably make you...and your mother wish you were never born.

But who would think that the heartache and pain associated with the demise of a long-term relationship could amount to a blockbuster comedy?  Well, the creative minds of writer Jason Segel, producer Judd Apatow and director Nicholas Stoller did in the recent comedic masterpiece Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 

Set in the backdrop of a scenic Hawaiian resort, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a tale of celebrity relationships and the search for meaning in a Hollywood culture teeming with infidelity.

Peter Bretter, played by Jason Segel himself, tries to escape the woes of his recent breakup by taking a vacation on the islands of Hawaii.  To his chagrin, he coincidentally finds himself at the same resort as his ex, Sarah Marshall, and her new beau, Aldous Snow. Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell, is a hot new actress and Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand, is an iconic British rock star notorious for his sexual deviance.

Along the way, through numerous awkward encounters and unnecessarily graphic scenes, Peter meets some 'interesting' resort staff and fellow guests.  Each character, in his or her unique way, helps Peter regain confidence and recover from his heartache--the most notable being Rachel Jansen, played by Mila Kunis. 

Though the plot may seem clichéd and over expressed due to the large number of breakup and date movies which have exploded onto the scene recently, Forgetting Sarah Marshall takes a fresh look at an event that takes place in the lives of most. 

Peter's character is probably one of the most relatable characters in the entire movie.  From the instant we are introduced to him, we view him as an underdog--the boyfriend tossed aside by an actress.  Each unfortunate coincidence and awkward encounter makes the audience shudder in sympathy, quite similar to Ben Stiller's character in Meet the Parents. 

Unlike other movies, however, the characters are very well developed.  We even find ourselves sympathizing with the so-called antagonists, Marshall and Snow.  Likewise, the audience learns the history of several seemingly insignificant characters like the surf instructor and Peter's step-brother, which adds to the plot's depth. 

Certainly, the most important aspect of this movie, like any other comedy, is the humor.  Coming from the same cast of characters as Knocked Up, Superbad, and 40 Year-Old Virgin, one would expect another vulgar comedy with numerous drug-references.  Forgetting Sara Marshall, however, was far more quotable and demonstrated the true potential of movies aimed at the mid-to-late twenties age demographic. 

The minor characters may have been the funniest and most memorable characters in the entire movie.  From the extremely religious and sexually inexperienced newlyweds to the extremely awkward restaurant host, every character's lines are full of entendre and humor and executed. 

Even though the movie may be categorized as your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, it is anything but that. The characters and the plot were realistic and could potentially play out in life. The very heart wrenching pain from a five-year break-up isn't cured immediately. Instead, Peter' goes through hell for the next couple of weeks. Yes, he does find someone perfect in the end, but that was because he wasn't intentionally looking. It happened very naturally.

There may not be a lot of applause-worthy punch lines every couple of minutes, but the real awkward situations this comedy genuine. We can experience the pain felt by Paul, because we see the situation through his perspective, which really strengthens the tie between him and the audience.

This movie is definitely not for those with a weak stomach.  For some, the full-frontal, male nudity scenes in the first 60 seconds of the movie may be a complete turn-off.  For others, it adds a level of enjoyable and possibly relatable absurdity prevalent throughout the rest of the movie.  Even if the humor and style isn't to your liking, audiences won't be forgetting Forgetting Sarah Marshall anytime soon.