Forgetting Sarah Marshall [Blu-ray]

I laughed a lot, which means this was very funny to me. Jason Segel from "Knocked Up" plays Peter Bretter whose girlfriend breaks up with him. Segel wrote the screenplay & bares all in the beginning of the film, which was startling. But he plays it in a very matter-of-fact way, seemingly comfortable even though not the most toned of men. His girlfriend is Sarah Marshall who is running on a crime scene TV show. Kristen Bell who is currently on TV's "Heroes" & was "Veronica Mars" in that series does an incredible acting job. The fine delicacy of emotion that comes across her face, the sorrowful regret as she breaks up with Peter, and the desire to come back to him are communicated with the depth one might achieve while standing on the first step walking down into the shallow end of the pool. She's also beautiful, but not overly funny. Mila Kunis from TV's "That 70s Show" & recently in "Max Payne" is both beautiful, touching & funny. As Rachel, she well handles the levels of sticking up for herself, romantic lead & funny sidekick to Peter. Russell Brand as the narcissistic rock star Aldous who is Sarah's new boyfriend preens and prances in hilarious fashion. Paul Rudd turns in an excellent comic performance as the air-headed surfing instructor. He was also in Knocked Up (Unrated Widescreen Edition) as well as Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (Unrated Widescreen Edition) & currently in the hilarious "Role Models." Jonah Hill who was in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" & "Knocked Up," shows up as a waiter with an agenda. Bill Hader from TV's "Saturday Night Live" & "Superbad" plays Peter's brother Brian. Brian's wife Liz is played by "Saturday Night Live" alumni Liz Cackowski. Nicholas Stoller who wrote "Fun With Dick & Jane" helms the picture for his first film & keeps the laughs and pacing brisk. The Dracula musical finale was hilariously unexpected. This is a great comic film. Enjoy!

Jason Segel proves that he is the latest Judd Apatow protege to deliver the comic goods in this raunchy, sweet and totally entertaining comedy about healing broken hearts.

Segel wrote and stars as an underacheiving every man who, after getting dumped by his celebrity girlriend (Kristen Bell) takes a vacation to Hawaii to put her behind him. The buds of a new romance develop quickly when he meets Rachel (Mila Kunis) who works the front desk at the resort he stays at. But as fate would have it, Sarah and her new boyfriend (Russell Brand) are staying there as well.

In lesser hands, this could have devolved into pure Hollywood cliche: Segel's character spends the entire movie trying to win Sarah back all the while oblivious to the fact that Rachel is the right woman for him. Thankfully, this movie is a great deal smarter and more emotionally complex than that. Peter and Rachel begin, albeit hesitantly, a relationship but Sarah eventually realizes she still cares for her ex and attempts to win him back. Peter's dilemma of whether or not to pursue his relationship with Rachel or fall back into his old one with Sarah feels real and messy, with serious consequences.

But let's not get too serious here...this is a comedy after all. The supporting cast is terrific including Paul Rudd in another hilarious turn, the fat guy from Superbad who makes the most out of his limited screen time, and most notably Russell Brand as Sarah's new boyfriend. Brand manages to raise the comic energy of every scene he's in.

The movie ultimately works it's way towards a satisfying ending, but getting there is great fun. The jokes never feel rushed or out of characther. Segel's writing allows for the comedy to flow from the characters' personalities which can lead to some enormous belly laughs. There is also a ton of raunchy humor here as well, but it's evened out by the underlying tenderness that flows throughout the film.

The only question that lingers after the movie ends......who will be the next Apatow player to wow us with a comedy gem? I can't wait to find out.

That's what this movie's strongest point is. Each of the actors know when the punchlines should be inserted and do so frequently throughout the entire movie. Writer/Star Jason Segel proves his growing talent in this film.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is another successful comedy in a long line of successful comedies produced by Judd Apatow (Superbad, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express). Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller directs his first film while actor Jason Segal writes. Segal of course also plays the film's main protagonist, Peter Bretter, a composer for a crime scene investigation television drama that stars his girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). Sarah breaks up with Peter and the story begins. Segal has been around for a while on television (Freaks and Geeks, How I Met Your Mother) while also appearing in smaller roles for films (SLC Punk, Knocked Up). It is nice to see him get a feature role in a huge comedy while at the same time delivering a top-notch comedy screenplay. His talents are undeniable.

As the film goes on after Sarah breaks up with Peter, we are introduced to various characters that are both interesting and very funny. British rock star Aldous Snow is played by Russell Brand, who is probably the film's highlight for me, although Peter's married step-brother and his wife, played by Bill Hader and Liz Cackowski, are great as well. Mila Kunis stars as Peter's potential rebound girlfriend after his breakup with Sarah. All of these characters and many more conveniently and unwittingly congregate in the same vacation spot in Hawaii shortly after the break-up between Peter and Sarah.

Although I would totally work towards staying with Sarah myself, the film does a great job in making us empathize with the vulnerable and likeable character of Peter Bretter. I mean the guy is making a rock opera with puppets about Dracula. That is his passion. This is an excellent comedy with great characters and a deep cast. I definitely recommend it.

My wife and I took a chance on this and rented it when we couldn't find anything else. We haven't seen any other Apatow films -- they all looked a little too adolescent for our tastes. We had read some good reviews of this, though, so we gave it a shot. It was a real surprise -- very clever, well-written, and genuinely funny. Great cast, and all give excellent performances. Lots of real talent went into this. A very enjoyable movie.