Kathmandu:

Ever since before Shakespeare and including the immortal bard, there were periods in the history of entertainment when comedies were explicitly bawdy, meaning they talked about body parts best left in the toilet according to the Victorians. The Victorian era over, we happily return to fun distinctly adult and hilarious.

Hollywood’s Judd Apatow is the king of this kind of comedy and is considered as amongst 50 powerful men in Hollywood. Adam Sandler is another example. And now from the Apatow’s school, comes director and actor Jason Segel, who brings us Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which is a raunchy hoot from its nude first few moments to just before its ending.

In-fact there is so much merry funny sex in the movie, you would think people did nothing else.

Says critic AT Hurley, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall provides that rare treat: a romantic comedy about breakups, that is both romantic and funny. The laughs, especially from writer-star Jason Segel, are both heartfelt and raunchy, and the film is just unexpected enough that it keeps the viewer’s attention till the end. The touches of producer Judd Apatow, who’s famously retooled rom-coms to appeal to guys as much as women, are woven throughout the film, but Segel’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall script, reportedly based on many of his own experiences, is fresh, original and adult, and his performance as Peter, show that he understands the true nature of adult relationships. The cast is sublime; Kristen Bell plays the title character Sarah, a self-absorbed actress, and Russell Brand is her new British honey who accompanies her to — what are the chances? — the exact same Hawaiian resort as Peter, who’s nursing his broken heart. Mila Kunis plays Rachel, the resort employee who gives Peter a reason to hope, and Paul Rudd is the surfing instructor who gives him his own brand of heartfelt advice (“When life gives you lemons, just say ‘F — the lemons’ and bail,” he says cheerily). The pacing is screwball, and the absurdities fly. Nothing the viewer will forget any time soon.”

Writes Pete Hammond, “Jason Segel smartly breaks out of the supporting TV mode and proves his worth as a fine comic movie lead in his sharply observed script, inspired by an incident that happened in his own life. Sure to be much discussed and dissected, the hilarious opening scenes in which he boldly goes for laughs displaying his full frontal manhood signals him as a screen actor unafraid to let it all hang out there. That’s just perfect for a character who pretty much wears his vulnerability on his sleeve (when he has one on). He has also given his co-stars choice roles to run with as well. Kriston Bell shapes her Sarah Marshall into a believable human being who finally hits a wall in her longtime relationship. Mila Kunis is an enormously appealing and warm screen presence and Russell Brand, as the loopy rocker steals every scene he’s in with one of the year’s most indelible comic creations. As usual, some of Apatow’s stable of regulars turn up here as well with standout bits from Paul Rudd, as a loony surf instructor and Jonah Hill as the fanboy restaurant host.”

And the great Glenn Kenny deigned to comment by saying, “As directed by Stoller (another Apatow acolyte) these interactions have a relaxed feel and the movie is smart to give such seasoned and proven laugh-getters to do their stuff. The filmmakers just want to prove their hearts are in the right place, but its characters are all plausible and sweet-natured enough (even the narcissistic rocker has a near-noble side) that they don’t need to sweat it.”