Dan's Papers - April 25, 2008 - Flick Picks with Ian Stark

Long Island native and rom-com innovator Judd Apatow is basically a lock these days to score with anything his name is attached to. After proving that The 40-Year-Old Virgin was no fluke with the even sweeter and more dead-on Knocked Up, it's now a race to see if he can fail. Mr. A...so far, so good.

His latest production, Forgetting Sarah Marshall (directed by Nick Stoller, scripted by Jason Segel), reprises his trademark formula of bawdy sexual humor and undeniable romantic sensitivity. Naturally, the usual crowd of producer Apatow actors (Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd) are in the film, a crew who at this point are not only valued, but anticipated, and this time Segel gets the starring nod as Peter Bretter, a fleshy and sensitive slacker-type who is completely in love with his girlfriend, film impetus Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell, "Veronica Mars"). She's a TV star, and he's okay with it all, standing in the background and holding her pocketbook as she basks in her stardom. Don't worry about this obvious spoiler; she breaks it off with him to go hang with someone more famous, the egocentric rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand, Penelope).

The mushy Peter ends up in a broken-hearted nightmare, as the face of the person he can't get over is plastered everywhere. He tries to move on, but any attempted romantic rendezvous proves too painful, resulting in some very unsexy, but funny, blubbering. His last resort turns out to be a resort indeed, as he jaunts off to Hawaii to heal. But this time, his ex doesn't glare at him from the television screen or city advertisement, rather she comes in person as he just happens to pick the same hotel Sarah and her hairy new beau have selected for their getaway vacation.

Hope is on the horizon, as expected, for the resort's desk clerk Rachael (Mila Kunis, "That '70s Show") happens to be stinging from a recent break-up herself, and ends up a handy - and attractive - emotional friend that might just turn out be the spark that gets Peter back in the game.

It's always a delight, and sadly refreshing, to see a cast of characters so well throughout. You expect to hate Aldous, but the more he mouths off, the more you realize he's just playing the cards he was dealt. Bell's Marshall, who the movie also uses as a vehicle to spear lousy TV cop shows, would seem to be the bad guy for what she's done to Peter, but before long you realize she's not a louse just because she felt like moving on. Kunis has no choice in her role; she has to be beautiful and down-to-earth enough to prove a better choice than Sarah, yet she is imbued with the right energy of someone who has learned her personal perfection through trial and error.

Segel also does a great job as the sad sack with a heart of near-gold who deserves true love, moping and boo-hooing yet maintaining some manliness. However, he's earned a very special prize here for guts, which leads to a warning that must be noted - he shows everything. The full and flabby monty. Regardless of the wit and observational gold this film offers, if you can't handle blatant full-frontal male nudity, do not come to see it because you will get an introduction to the actor's lower half usually reserved for urologists. It's not gratuitous, but in fact a purposefully placed device that reveals Peter's vulnerability. Nonetheless, even those who won't be coming to see the picture have to admire the man's courage to let it all hang out for theatre-goers, DVD buyers and web surfers, who will trade the bared naughty bits online for years to come.

Ian Stark is a frequent TV and radio commentator on the film industry. He is widely published on film and other arts/culture topics.