It was tempting, after the mediocre Walk Hard and the dismal Drillbit Taylor, to say that producer Judd Apatow had spread himself too thin too quickly, and that his stamp of approval was already becoming devalued. But projects like those that Apatow doesn’t write and direct himself are carried on the strengths of his collaborators. He’s chosen well to promote Jason Segel from supporting player (in Knocked Up and the Apatow-produced TV series Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks) to lead, since Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which Segel stars in and also wrote, is every bit as funny as Apatow productions Knocked Up and Superbad, and ultimately more entertaining than those two highly praised comedies.
Part of the reason is that the almost reactionary traditional-values moralizing of Knocked Up (and, to a lesser extent, Superbad) is absent here, replaced with a more conventional but in many ways more satisfying romantic-comedy structure. Segel’s Peter Bretter is dumped by his girlfriend, the titular Sarah Marshall (Bell), at the movie’s outset, and attempts to escape his heartbreak by taking a trip to Hawaii. But—surprise!—Sarah and her new rock-star boyfriend just happen to be staying at the same hotel.
It’s obvious from the moment that Peter meets attractive and vivacious desk clerk Rachel (Kunis) that the two are meant to be together, and all the obstacles will be cleared away by the time the credits roll. But Segel and director Stoller make the formula fun and entertaining, with great performances and an entirely relatable lead character. Kunis has never looked better or been more appealing, and perhaps the movie’s most pleasant surprise is how much sympathy and nuance Segel and Stoller afford Sarah and her new beau.
Like most Apatow productions, Forgetting runs a good 20 minutes too long, and even if almost all the bits are funny, there are too many digressions from the main plot. Still, it’s hard to complain about too much of a good thing, and bit parts from 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer and Apatow regulars Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill would be a shame to lose. Not only is Apatow back on the right track with this film, but it also makes Segel and Stoller’s next project as enticing a prospect as Apatow’s.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
*** 1/2
Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Rated R