Comedic mastermind Judd Apatow has been on a roll these past few years, spitting out gems like “Superbad,” “Knocked Up” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.” Apatow strikes gold once again with the romantic comedy, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
The film tells the story of Peter Bretter, a television composer who was just dumped by Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell), Hollywood sensation and girlfriend of five years. Realizing that he needs to escape from the sorrow and depression that surrounds him, Peter decides to take a vacation in Hawaii in order to clear his head.
But as fate would have it, Peter arrives to find his ex and her new rock star boyfriend staying at the same hotel.
This leaves him even more sullen at first, but Peter’s frown gets turned upside down when he meets the hotel’s customer service representative Rachel Jansen, who is played by former “That ’70s Show” star Mila Kunis (who, by the way, looks like an absolute smoke show).
The role of Peter is played by Jason Segel, who also wrote the screenplay. Segel brings an incredible presence to the screen, presenting both a hilarious and believable performance.
Despite the depressing mood shadowing our protagonist throughout a good portion of the film, laughter expected from the perverted potty-mouth humor synoymous with an Apatow film.
Like the unnecessary hospital scene in “Knocked Up,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is filled with raunchy scenes that will leave you both cringing and laughing at the same time.
And, any Apatow film wouldn’t be complete without some of his usual cast members.
Sporting minor roles include “Superbad” star Jonah Hill and “40 Year Old Virgin” star Paul Rudd. Although only minor characters in the film, Hill and Rudd add just enough laughs to make “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” one of the funniest movies of the year.
Fans of “Superbad” and “40 Year Old Virgin” may be a little disappointed with the more romantic story line involved, but it won’t stop them from leaving the theater satisfied.
Although it has a more serious and romantic premise to it, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” will leave you sporting a permanent smile throughout the entire two hours, and the film will be hard to wash off once leaving the theater.
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