Forgetting Sarah Marshall / Nie wieder Sex mit der Ex (2008)

Peter is a composer and a likable sad sack who's devastated when his girlfriend of five years, Sarah Marshall, the star of a cheesy CSI-style crime show, dumps him. He weeps, he rails, he mopes. Finally, his step-brother Brian suggests Hawaii, so Peter heads for a resort on Oahu where, as he's checking in, he sees Sarah and her new beau, Aldous, a polymorphously perverse English rocker. The weeping and moping start again, until Peter is rescued by Rachel, a thoughtful hotel clerk who invites him to a luau and to hang out. Although he constantly runs into Sarah and Aldous, Peter starts to come alive again. Will Sarah realize what she's lost, and what about Rachel?

Sechs Jahre lang hat der unauffallige Peter (Jason Segel) seine Freundin, den Fernsehstar Sarah (Kristen Bell), angehimmelt - bis sie ihn einfach abserviert. Als Peter erfahrt, dass sein Nachfolger der Hallodri Aldous (Russell Brand) ist, seines Zeichens hipper Brit-Rocker, hilft auch kein Vollrausch mehr. Er bucht einen Hawaii-Urlaub, um sich emotional zu erholen. Ausgerechnet in seinem Hotel logiert auch das frischgebackene Liebespaar. Eine Kriegserklarung! Trennungskomodie vom Produzenten-Team von "Jungfrau (40), mannlich, sucht …" und "Beim ersten Mal". Emotionale Katastrophen vor Hawaiis Traumstranden gibt es reichlich im turbulenten Grabenkampf, der ein herzliches wie boses Lied auf den Liebeskummer anstimmt.

Things couldn't be better for Peter Brettler (Jason Segel). Along with girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), a popular action series star, he lives a carefree slacker life, composing television soundtracks, unaware of the problems of every day life. Until, that is, one fateful day, when Sarah breaks off their relationship and proclaims she's seeing another man. Peter hits rock bottom, hooking up with any available woman in an attempt to ease his pain and distract himself from the loss of his beloved girlfriend. On the advice of his step-brother Brian (Bill Heder), Peter takes off for Hawaii for some alone time and a chance to reflect on his misery and failed relationship. As luck would have it, Sarah and her new boyfriend, an obnoxious British rock star named Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), just happen to be staying at the same Hawaiian resort as Peter, and keep managing to run into him at inconvenient times. As Peter prepares to flee back to Los Angeles, he comes into contact with a quirky young hotel employee named Rachel (Mila Kunis). The two become fast friends, and Rachel takes it upon herself to help Peter in his quest to forget Sarah Marshall. Can Peter find love with Rachel with Sarah peering over his shoulder, or does he really want Sarah back?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall impressed me almost immediately by managing to be both hilariously offensive and sentimental, often at the same time. It's a delicate balancing act that is pulled off to perfection. Jason Segel moves from the sidekick status he inhabited in previous film outings, to a full-on leading man in the film. He's a terrific comedic talent; something all the more impressive considering he wrote the film as well as starred in it. He's pretty fearless in the film; fans of full-frontal male nudity will get their fair share of Mr. Segel. Mr. Segel also provides some genuinely hilarious songs for the film; "Dracula's Lament" being the highlight.

The supporting cast is equally impressive; fan favorites Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis both dial up the babe factor in the film and are both effective, provocative and funny. The real breakout star of the film, however, is British bad-boy Russell Brand. He steals every scene as the notorious rock star Aldous Snow; he's smarmy, vulgar and sexist, while remaining sweet and almost disarmingly innocent in the process. Look out for cameos from Judd Apatow favorites Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd; both deliver some of the film's most memorable lines.

Is Forgetting Sarah Marshall the best comedy of the past few years? Definitely not. The film could probably lose about 20 minutes and still be just as effective. Regardless, it's a sentimental, delightfully dirty and downright funny film that manages to tell an original story in a non-conventional way. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is highly recommended!

Ben Williams, blu-ray.com