If you are a Simon Pegg fan, as I am, you will enjoy this trailer immensely. This film is based on Tobey Young’s memoirs of the same name. It is scheduled for a UK release in October 2008, hopefully it will hit the US soon after. Please enjoy the trailer and look for Pegg in Run Fatboy Run currently in theaters and then as Scotty in the new Star Trek film due out next year.
Filed under: Films, In Theaters, Trailers | Tags: comedy, Film Review, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Judd Apatow, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, movie trailer, Nicholas Stoller, Paul Rudd, Russell Brand
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language, and some graphic nudity
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Release Date: April 18, 2008 (wide)
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Judd Apatow does it again. He produces another comedy that shocks you into laughter with uncomfortable moments. I wasn’t as fond of this one as I was of Knocked Up and Superbad, but in my opinion, it was leaps and bounds better than The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
This story follows musician Peter Bretter as he tries to get over being dumped by his TV star girlfriend Sarah Marshall. His attempt to get away from it all leads him to a resort in Hawaii, where he tragically runs into Sarah and her new British rock star boyfriend, Aldous. He is eventually coaxed out of his misery with the help of some of the resort employees, led by Mila Kunis’ Rachel, whose carefree approach to life he finds refreshing.
Jason Segel is not only the leading man, but he wrote the hilarious script. As Peter Bretter, Segel is endearingly awkward. His exaggerated portrayal of heartbroken misery at once captures the essence of heartache and the ridiculousness of self pity. The reason Peter is still likable and Segel’s performance is funny is because underneath all the site gags and funny one-liners the filmmakers keep that little kernel of truth that reminds all of us of how we felt the last time our heart was broken.
That being said up front, let’s move on to these site gags and how they can kind of get out of control when filmmakers are distracted by trying to irritate the MPAA. That was the feeling I was getting when they repeatedly cut to one particular site gag not once or twice, but several times. By the end of that scene, all I could think about was the filmmakers repeatedly submitting their cuts to the MPAA until the right number of seconds and the right number of occurrences was met to squeak by with the R rating. Funny as it was, in my opinion, it was a little overdone.
I now have to mention that Mila Kunis is pretty. We all know this without being barraged with close-ups of her flashing her perfect white teeth while her eyelight twinkles and the breeze moves through her dark wavy hair. While this is nice for awhile, please give her more to do.
Overall, it was incredibly entertaining to watch. The laughs kept coming throughout and Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill have terrific supporting parts.
Rating: 8/10 – an entertaining laugh fest with only a few distracting elements
Filed under: Films, Trailers | Tags: David Strathairn, Jude Law, movie trailer, My Blueberry Nights, Natalie Portman, Norah Jones, Rachel Weisz, Wong Kar Wai
This is the first English language film from acclaimed director, Wong Kar Wai. He is noted for his stylized romantic visuals which is evident in this trailer released in the UK. There is a US trailer out, but I find that one, although beautiful to look at, tells the viewer very little about the story. Norah Jones makes her acting debut in this film as Elizabeth, a young woman on a physical and emotional journey to find herself after a bad break-up. The US release date is April 4th, 2008. With Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, and Natalie Portman also part of the cast, this film looks promising.
