If Russell Brand is anything like Aldous Snow, the character he plays in Get Him to the Greek, he’s one messed up but totally fun dude. Likewise, the Judd Apatow-produced road/buddy comedy is a guilty good time.
After the breakup of his rocky relationship with model/singer girlfriend Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) and an abysmally bad album called African Child (think We Are the World, but racist), Aldous Snow has been on a three-year, non-stop sex and drugs bender, chronicled by TMZ. To put the rock and roll back into the equation, Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), a low-level record company schlep gets the idea to resurrect his rock idol’s career by having him play an anniversary concert at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater.
Aaron’s boss, Sergio (Sean “P. Diddy” Combs), green-lights the concert and puts him personally in charge of getting the troublesome rocker from his home in London to New York City for a promotional appearance on the Today Show and then straight to the theater. But Aaron’s best laid plans are interrupted by Aldous, the double-talking narcissist, leading to nights of debauchery–fueled by Ketel One, absinthe, and a super-drug-cocktail joint known as a Jeffrey–in not one, but four different cities.
Get Him to the Greek was written and directed by Nicholas Stoller and based on Brand’s scene-stealing character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Stoller and producer Apatow are a little insane for even attempting to parlay this bit character into a full-fledged film of his own. After all, the successful movie spin-off is an elusive creature. Did you see Evan Almighty? Yikes.
But the colossal gamble actually pays off. The film’s raunchy writing is sharp, if not overly clever, and its pace is quick and entertaining. The filthy-but-catchy music might actually get stuck in your head. (If you liked “Inside You” in Sarah Marshall, wait until you hear “The Clap” and “Ring Round.”) And appearances by celebrities, including Lars Ulrich from Metallica, and Apatow mainstays like Carla Gallo (a.k.a. “Period Girl”), as an oversexed groupie named Destiny, actually help the film stay on course.
Truthfully, I expected this film to be more of Jonah Hill vehicle, a la Superbad. Hill does a fine job but mostly plays the film’s straight man, albeit a puking, sweating, “Oh my God, I think he might be actually having a heart attack” straight man.
Elisabeth Moss plays his live-in girlfriend, Daphne, who breaks up with him shortly before his trip. This allows him to engage in all manner of ridiculous antics on the road and also gives the film an excuse for a gooey center. Aaron realizes that all those rock and roll “good times” on the road can’t possibly add up to having someone who genuinely loves you for who you are. I wish Moss had more to do (she’s brilliant on Mad Men), but kudos to Stoller for resisting the urge to make the girlfriend a raving bitch or a helpless dupe.
Still, it’s not the sentimental stuff that’s putting butts in this film’s seats. So even the sweet reconciliation scenes don’t turn out the way you’d expect them to. In one of those moments, cherubic Moss (as visions of Peggy Olsen danced in my head) pleads, “I would like to have a threesome, please.” Who could resist that?
Ultimately though, Brand, whose appeal I never really understood before, runs away with the show. There’s just something about his lanky, snake-like frame and shirt unbuttoned all the way down to there that is both familiar (is that you, Mick?) and freakin’ hilarious. Brand’s way of delivering daft, off-color lines with just the right amount of intelligence and earnestness is surprising and much appreciated.
What can I say? After seeing Get Him to the Greek, I’m with the Brand.
(Amazon has a wide selection of comedies on both DVD and Blu-ray, so be sure to take a look. We do receive a small commission if you make a purchase, but any profits go right back into the site.)
Pings & Trackbacks ¬