Forgetting Sarah Marshall

The 40-year-old Virgin was the first of Judd Apatow's works that I had seen, and it was glorious. It was a wonderful combination of sweetness and one-liners. It led me to watch Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and make sure that I watched Knocked Up and Superbad when they came out. Some of those shows/movies were much funnier than others, but I was nonetheless impressed.

It was a no-brainer that I would see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, seeing as how it combines Apatow with his frequent collaborators Jason Seigel, Paul Rudd, and Jonah Hill with the glory that is Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell (who has a much nicer body than I would've expected). It's not up to the level of The 40-year-old virgin, it's still a highly enjoyable film.

Seigel and Rudd and Hill play the same role that they've played in all of Apatow's other works, which is a bit of a concern. Seigel is the shlubby man-child, Rudd the laid-back (although moreso in this work than in most) wit, and Hill the sarcastic critic. They all do a good job within those roles, so that isn't too much of a problem, but some elements feel like it's the same movie over and over and over again.

Kristen Bell is a breath of fresh air. Her character starts out as a simply unreasonable wench, but has a small taste of redemption towards the end as she describes why she cheated on Siegel. The real highlight for me, however, was all the slight references to her real career. Her Sarah Marshall is a CSI-type television star whose awkward transition to film mimics her performance in the abysmal The Pulse. Her show being canceled, which forces her to consider film, only to find another show, is touching and an inspiring nod to her future career.

The rest of the cast is charming as well. Mila Kunis is surprisingly charming as the polite (extremely non-Jackie-ish) Rachel who manages to maintain a sense of successful chemistry with the socially awkward Seigel. Also of note is the actor who plays Aldous Snow, who pulls off the eccentric, rakish British charm without seeming entirely batshit insane.

I also have to comment on the surprising amount of nudity. Not only is there more genitalia in this film than in Apatow's other works, but surprisingly MALE genitalia. There are brief shots of what may or may not be Kunis' breasts, but by far the bulk of attention is paid to Seigel's wang. And as I saw in an online interview, that slapping sound was actually his penis against his thigh. If I have to know that, so do you.