Forgetting Sarah Marshall -A Review-

There's been a revolution in the date-movie genre and things are only getting better! Where the story was always slanted to the weepy and girly, and men had to tuck their balls between they're legs, now the boys can proudly enter a cinema with a lady and laugh his ass off at the funny parts and be comfortable while his woman cries at the romantic shit. Except now the guy is interested in the romantic shit! And the girl can laugh at the toilet humour! Everyone's happy and they go home and have satisfying sex. Society is back on track. Okay, that may be going a bit far, but the future will recognize Judd Apatow as a groundbreaking filmmaker who started quietly and snuck up behind us to challenge our view of the 'date movie' and attempt to show us some common ground. Case in point; Knocked Up. Writer/Director Apatow brings us the story of a loser dude and a winner chick who drunkenly make love only to accidentally concieve a child. They have their ups and downs. Do they make it work? Let me just say both the dudes and the chicks are satisfied. Lots of fart humour, lots of pot smoking, and lots of realistic-feeling romance.

Of course before that there was the phenom Superbad. A couple of horny teens trying to score booze for a party find love. Aww. Everyone's happy!

Now look at Forgetting Sarah Marshall!

Written by star Jason Segel, and produced by Apatow, the story is about lovable schlub Peter (Segel), and his girlfriend Sarah (Kristen Bell). One day out of the blue Sarah breaks up with Peter and he's devestated. On the advice of his half-brother (played to the hilt by Bill Hader) Peter goes to a Hawaiian resort he once heard mentioned by Sarah, only to find she's staying there with her new boyfriend, rockstar Aldous Snow (the hysterically over the top British comedian Russel Brand). At first they clash, but with the help of a sympathetic hotel desk girl (Mila Kunis at her anti-That 70's Show-best!) he manages to unwind, have fun, and fall in love again. But does he fall in love? And with who? Peter is torn between his budding feelings for Rachel (Kunis), and his unresolved feelings for Sarah.

The result is as natural as it is surprising. This is where the Apatow Revolution shows it's colours! As much as you grow to care for all these characters you never know where they'll end up until they tell you. Noone is demonized, with one possible exception, but I'll spare the spoiler! In the end I felt like everyone was where they should be, which is unusual for a date movie. They're supposed to be so formulaic aren't they? Or was this a lad's comedy? Goofy and offensive in all the right ways... uhm, ending the way the dude would want! YEAH!!

Fuck it. Just enjoy. Maybe we're moving into a new era of comedy where Mike Myers doesn't get to make the same movie over and over and still be succesful. Yeah, I laughed at the Austin Powers movies. And then I saw The Love Guru. *sigh*

I think, with Apatow's influence, young people's comedies are moving in a positive direction, and I'll happily follow along as a former young person who is actually the current age of the dudes writing this stuff! Maybe Generation X is good for something after all!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall hits the streets on Sept. 30, '08. You might still find it in limited theatres.

xo