Forgetting Sarah Marshall

[billybreen]

The wife and I caught a late showing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night and really enjoyed it. As you probably know, it's the latest Judd Apatow production, and it definitely draws from the common thread among them -- nerdy dudes with unrealistically attractive women (in this case, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell). And an unflinching willingness to blend comedy with dramatic moments without ruining either. It takes a very deft touch to pull that off, but the script and the cast were up to it.

So what is the net result? A very funny comedy and a heart-felt break-up story with some painfully human moments. I strongly recommend it.

[dkbaseball]

The wife and I caught a late showing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night and really enjoyed it. As you probably know, it's the latest Judd Apatow production, and it definitely draws from the common thread among them -- nerdy dudes with unrealistically attractive women (in this case, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell). And an unflinching willingness to blend comedy with dramatic moments without ruining either. It takes a very deft touch to pull that off, but the script and the cast were up to it.

So what is the net result? A very funny comedy and a heart-felt break-up story with some painfully human moments. I strongly recommend it.

With the caveat that if I'm disagreeing with BB on humor, I surely must be wrong, I thought this was a real yawner. The rocker Brit was good for a few yucks, but otherwise there wasn't a single line that hit my funny bone. It was also the ultimate vanity project. Not only does the screenwriter-lead cast himself as the nerd with a heart of gold, rock-ribbed integrity and budding genius whom every woman must love when she comes to her senses, but he also gives himself a full frontal nudity scene that really, really wasn't necessary.

[billybreen]

With the caveat that if I'm disagreeing with BB on humor, I surely must be wrong, I thought this was a real yawner. The rocker Brit was good for a few yucks, but otherwise there wasn't a single line that hit my funny bone. It was also the ultimate vanity project. Not only does the screenwriter-lead cast himself as the nerd with a heart of gold, rock-ribbed integrity and budding genius whom every woman must love when she comes to her senses, but he also gives himself a full frontal nudity scene that really, really wasn't necessary.

Make that two full frontal nudity scenes.

[hc5duke]

Make that two full frontal nudity scenes.

Sweet! I'm so there! Wait, you did say "Ashley" Judd, right?

[billybreen]

Sweet! I'm so there! Wait, you did say "Ashley" Judd, right?

No, Rick Majerus, I did not.

[brevity]

I will mildly recommend FSM, given what else is at the cineplex. Click the link in my signature for reviews of this movie and (the horrendous) 88 Minutes.

[A-Tex Devil]

Saw it this afternoon and really liked it. It's funny how ridiculous people act after a bad/unexpected breakup, and I can say from personal experience that this was dead on with, of course, the requisite hyperbole of embarassment that makes a Judd Apatow produced film so fun to watch.

And I got my Fantasy Football team name for next year courtesy of Jonah Hill -- "6 o'clock to 12 o'clock."

[JasonEvans]

I agree with the mild recommendation. It had funny moments but was a bit too long and was brutally predictable (aside from the rocker dude being a pretty good guy for the most part, I would have predicted he would be a 100% jerk). I also thought the movie had some scenes that felt like they should have been cut out because they were somewhat random. The stuff with Mila Kunis' ex-boyfriend were just strange.

Considering the other drek in theaters right now (except for The Bank Job), you could do a lot worse than this flick, that's for sure.

--Jason "I heard 88 Minutes was so bad it should have been direct to DVD" Evans

[brevity]

--Jason "I heard 88 Minutes was so bad it should have been direct to DVD" Evans

It was that bad. Easily the early frontrunner for worst studio offering of the year. (I would compare it to the 2007 film Next, that movie where Nicolas Cage can see 2 minutes into the future. As you watch them both you start asking yourself how/why they ever got made.)

88 Minutes actually has a decent premise -- a real-time, D.O.A. murder mystery should be fun and welcome -- but, man, the execution. At least I had the benefit of attending a red carpet premiere, so there was some novelty to it. But regular paying customers were only wasting their time and money.

Stay away. Even if you have a mild appreciation for laughably bad movies, you should still wait for DVD.

[DevilAlumna]

(I would compare it to the 2007 film Next, that movie where Nicolas Cage can see 2 minutes into the future. As you watch them both you start asking yourself how/why they ever got made.)


Huh, I just watched "Next" a couple weeks ago (on Starz), and enjoyed it. I mean, there were no Oscar caliber performances, but I thought the plot was good.

[brevity]

Huh, I just watched "Next" a couple weeks ago (on Starz), and enjoyed it. I mean, there were no Oscar caliber performances, but I thought the plot was good.

May be a different experience in the comforts of home. Sitting in a theater (I wrote a review here (http://nhmehta.blogspot.com/2007/04/nic-and-jessica.html)), I reached that moment toward the end where there's a big revelation, and instead of being surprised, I just wondered how much longer I'd have to sit there.

[DevilAlumna]

May be a different experience in the comforts of home. Sitting in a theater (I wrote a review here (http://nhmehta.blogspot.com/2007/04/nic-and-jessica.html)), I reached that moment toward the end where there's a big revelation, and instead of being surprised, I just wondered how much longer I'd have to sit there.

Could also be that I just like Philip K. Dick short story-inspired movies like Minority Report, Total Recall, Blade Runner, and yes, even Paycheck. I have yet to see that faux-animated one, "A Scanner Darkly."

[JasonEvans]

Could also be that I just like Philip K. Dick short story-inspired movies like Minority Report, Total Recall, Blade Runner, and yes, even Paycheck. I have yet to see that faux-animated one, "A Scanner Darkly."

A Scanner Darkly was ok. The animation was cool and there were some great moments but it was somewhat confusing at times and the ending was not great.

I found aspects of Next to be really cool and fun but the whole product was fairly weak. I was also very bothered that the movie set up a premise ("he can see 2 mins in the future, but not more than 2 mins") and then violated the premise in the end when it suited their purposes to wrap things up. Uhhhh, that sorta sucked and was a very cheap way out of a tough situation. The makings of a really good story/movie are all in place with Next, but the final direction it takes stunk.

I think "the final twist ending left me feeling bland" is a recurring theme in most Philip K Dick screen adaptations.

--Jason "I need to read his stuff because I bet it is waaay better in print" Evans

[Mal]

Not necessarily, Jason. The short stories of his that I've read (haven't read any of his novels) struck me most of the time as surprisingly short. They're often brimming with interesting ideas and very deft insights, but plot fleshing is not his thing. Nor is artful use of the English language and development of a consistent narrative style. From what I've read, he was mostly banging this stuff out for sci-fi magazines and the like, so it's not polished, long-form work. This is what the movie adaptations have been from, so maybe that's part of the problem, stretching out those somewhat skin and bones ideas to a rich movie tapestry. It's not a matter of choosing what's most important from the stories, but rather a matter of adding something to them artfully to fill up 90-120 minutes.

It definitely worked in Minority Report, though. Maybe that's a testament to Spielberg - the pre-crime idea is a fascinating one, but it's pretty much a half hour Crim. Law discussion. The detail and fullness of the world Spielberg created in that film are what make it work for me, along with the craftsmanship in execution of certain scenes, like the chase through the mall with Agatha. (His ability to tone down Tom Cruise's Tom Cruise impression and surround him with actors who don't let him go there helps, too).

[huied]

Interesting how a thread about Forgetting Sarah Marshall turned into a conversation about bad movies :p

I actually liked the movie a lot. I read somewhere that they classify these kinds of movies as "Romantic Comedies for Guys", which I think is fairly valid. It's MUCH better than some of those crap romantic comedies they seem to churn out for girls.

[Clipsfan]

I agree with the mild recommendation. It had funny moments but was a bit too long and was brutally predictable (aside from the rocker dude being a pretty good guy for the most part, I would have predicted he would be a 100% jerk). I also thought the movie had some scenes that felt like they should have been cut out because they were somewhat random. The stuff with Mila Kunis' ex-boyfriend were just strange.

Considering the other drek in theaters right now (except for The Bank Job), you could do a lot worse than this flick, that's for sure.

--Jason "I heard 88 Minutes was so bad it should have been direct to DVD" Evans

I just saw The Bank Job on Friday and enjoyed it. It was fun even if it wasn't deep etc. I happen to be a fan of Statham, though.

[BlueDevilJay]

Make that two full frontal nudity scenes.

Yeah I heard on a radio show I listen to daily (Covino and Rich show on Maxim Radio, Sirius 108) that you get "junked" when watching that movie. I am on board with the movement against "junk" and really don't care to see that!

[hc5duke]

Yeah I heard on a radio show I listen to daily (Covino and Rich show on Maxim Radio, Sirius 108) that you get "junked" when watching that movie. I am on board with the movement against "junk" and really don't care to see that!

Count me in in the anti-junk movement. Make boobs, not junk! No junk for oil! Junk is not my choice!

[Tommac]

I just saw The Bank Job on Friday and enjoyed it. It was fun even if it wasn't deep etc. I happen to be a fan of Statham, though.

I saw The Bank Job several weeks ago and it was the best movie I have seen this year. Since January there haven't been that many good movies.

[JasonEvans]

I saw The Bank Job several weeks ago and it was the best movie I have seen this year. Since January there haven't been that many good movies.

This is the case every year. Spring is the dumping ground for bad movies.

That said, this spring has been extraordinarily bad, IMO.

--Jason "is summer here yet?!?!?" Evans