Forgetting Sarah Marshall

What we have here is a great comedy that some unfairly label as property of Judd Apatow. Now don't get me wrong, Apatow has had a great influence on comedy of late, and was partly responsible for the reemergence of R-rated funny films, but he is not the actual creative force behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall. That credit goes to Jason Segel, the writer and star. Sure, Apatow may have had a hand in the film, as the two have worked together a number of times before, but Segel is the hero here. He has created a genuinely funny movie, and we should appreciate these gems before the "spoof" genre takes over. His co-stars Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Russell Brand are all terrific. The script by Segel is wonderful, though some spots aren't as funny as they want to be. Nevertheless, Forgetting Sarah Marshall was one of the funniest films of 2008, and lets hope Segel has more comedies like this in his future (as long as it doesn't interfere with TVs How I Met Your Mother).

Genre - Comedy (3.5)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (3)
Production (4)
Directing (3)