SXSW ’08! Annette Kellerman On FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, YEAST, And CHOKE! Sounds Like One Crazy Weekend...

Hey again! It's Annette Kellerman, back with more reviews from SXSW. I've focued a lot on the great (and sometimes not great) documentaries I've seen at the fest so far, but here's my turn with a few of the narratives I've also had the opportunity to check out over the last 6 days.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL

While I'm sure there will be the inevitable talk back post stating, "why don't they call this 'ain't it forgetting sarah marshall news'," I just had to chime in on the film myself. It's just so hard to do a really great comedy. Many try, but few succeed the way that Judd Apatow and his cronies continue to do with hit after hit. Okay, so while Walk Hard may have been a slight misstep, it's hilarity still towered over most of what passes as comedy these days. Fortunately, with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller pulls that now-infamous crew of film makers back on track with a clever, heartfelt, and- oh yeah- uproarious little break up story. As most of you already know, the film follows Peter after he is dumped by his TV star girlfriend Sarah. In an attempt to get away from all the little reminders of their relationship poking at his broken heart, Peter takes a sabbatical at a Hawaiian resort only to find that Sarah and her new beau have also checked in to for some downtime. Buoyed by the support of his new found friends from the staff at the posh resort (a parade of Apatow's usual suspects including Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd), Peter decides to soldier on and enjoy his stay, even entertaining a bit of rebound action with the lovely concierge Rachel. As one would expect with such a screwball comedy, Peter's various encounters with his ex and her new man provide a continual series of situations in which the comedy flourishes. I won't go into much more detail about the plot, but one of my favorite aspects of the film is the way the story doesn't start off with any great build up of the relationship between Peter and Sarah. Instead, the movie starts with a bang, establishing the break up right away and telling the details of the 5 year romance in a series of laughable flashbacks. Directly after the sting of being dumped, Peter's memories are sweet and painful, but as the film progresses, these flashbacks begin to represent a more realistic version of what their relationship really entailed. It becomes apparent that maybe the two aren't as perfect for one another as Peter had first thought. In Apatow and company's new tradition of unlikely leading men, Jason Segal as Peter provides the heart of the film nailing the straight man role in the line of punchline fire. Kristen Bell as Sarah manages to imbue an otherwise bitchy role with enough sympathy that you forget you're supposed to hate her. Mila Kunis is radiant in her clever turn as Rachel, the perfect distraction to Peter's misery. Brilliant work by Russell Brand, Bill Hader, and an array of various supporting actors rounds out a perfect ensemble cast. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a splendid example of the masterful blend of comedy and heart. A real treat.

YEAST

Yeast is the reason why a good screenplay is something that should not be taken for granted. Yeast is another film in what is known as the "mumblecore" movement, or what I like to call the "film with no script shot on shaky DV" movement. While mumblecore vet Joe Swanberg's efforts like LOL and Hannah Takes The Stairs surprisingly worked for me at past festivals, first time director Mary Bronstein completely misses the mark with this boring and annoying story of a young woman systematically alienating her friends with her overbearing and negative demeanor. While I'm not at all unsure that Bronstein's actual intention was to make the audiences' skin crawl, this film wanted to make me strangle a bitch. I found myself practically begging every character to deliver a line that didn't have "like" or "dude" in it. The "organic delivery" of the improvised script failed miserably. For me, the only joyful moments came when the lead character (played by Bronstein herself) was actually physically assaulted by her costars. I know that Bronstein was going for a story about a self-righteous character who discovers that perhaps her own attitude is actually the root of her problems, I just wish that she could have made this realization with a fully thought out and cohesive script. I want my 78 minutes back.

CHOKE

On a much brighter note, Choke is the perfect antidote to the pretentious indie. The film is based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel, and if you're already a fan of the author you probably already know what you're in for. If not, you may want to prepare yourself for a deliciously raunchy tale from the notoriously devious writer. Choke tells the story of Victor, a sex addict whose addiction is rooted in a childhood dominated by the come and go presence of his racketeering mother. In adulthood, Victor is dealing with the demise of this greatly influential woman as she descends into the depths of dementia, wasting away in a nursing home for women. His plight to discover the identity of his father seems evermore impossible as his mother's condition declines daily. Amidst such melancholy subject matter however, arises a hilarious tale of self-discovery and ultimate recovery from one's demons. Throughout the film, director Clark Gregg assaults us with visions of Victor's various sexual exploits juxtaposed against his idyllic job as a villager in a reenactment colony for tourists. Additionally, the antics of the deluded patients at his mother's care facility provide further comic relief that feels just so wrong its actually right to laugh at. Intermittently, we are also invited into flashbacks from Victor's childhood in which his scandalous mom kidnaps him from foster care, helps him break into a zoo at night, and schools him in assorted illegal activities. As Victor, Sam Rockwell delivers another outstanding performance as the pervert with a heart of gold. The brilliant Angelica Huston gets to play two roles as the conniving mom of Victor's past as well as the subdued, demented mom of Victor's present. Great supporting performances by Kelly MacDonald and Brad William Henke (among many others) provide the film with additional depth and humor. If you like a good comedy amid bizarre subject matter that offends your sensibilities, Choke is definitely the movie for you. Be sure to check your morals at the door and enjoy this fresh, highly entertaining trip into the world of Palahniuk. Until next time, Annette Kellerman