Get Him To The Greek

Those paying attention might have noticed a new trend buddy comedy movies, the idea of friends (or in this case strangers) brought together through a series of painful and humiliating adventures, often fueled by drugs and alcohol. In a way they play out like old black and white war movies, only replace bunkers and trenches with resorts, casinos and night clubs. The cream of this crop has mostly been directed or produced by Judd Apatow; and are populated by his reoccurring cast of comedian friends.  Part of his success is because the comedians he uses are genuinely funny, and despite all of the projectile vomiting and slapstick injuries his plots also squeeze in some genuinely moving character moments, and Get Him To The Greek is no exception.

First of all it is both well written and competently directed by Nicholas Stoller, who cut his teeth writing for television and working on the screenplay for a couple of recent Jim Carrey films. His eye for satire is pretty sharp, starting with a hilarious mock music video that re-introduces comedian Russel Brand as Aldous Snow, a good old fashioned “sex and drugs” rock star. Some might remember this character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but here he is in a tailspin after failing to reinvent himself as a socially conscious Bono style artist.

This creates an opportunity for Aaron Green (played by Jonah Hill) to meet the rock star he idolizes. You see Aaron Green is a lackey at a major record label, and he figures that a tenth anniversary concert might be a final chance to make his favorite artist relevant again. Of course it is Aaron’s job to pick up the star and deliver him to an interview in New York and his big show at the titular Greek Theater, and this turns out to be problematic.

As soon as the two main characters meet the film turns into a whirlwind of sex, drugs and “spinal tap” style rock and roll. What makes this funny is the pairing of a veteran rock star with a baby faced corporate lackey, with Aldous always looking like a million dollars while his sidekick is often passed out in a puddle of vomit, and that is before the hard drugs come into play. Still the best part of this film are all the big and small secondary characters,

be it Sean Combs as a megalomaniac record producer (which you can guess he plays very well); Elisabeth Moss as the super cute but underappreciated girlfriend and Rose Byrne as the partying pop star who dumped Aldous when he became too boring to hold her attention. With little not to like, I cannot recommend this movie enough, provided you are not offended (or grossed out) too easily.   

- Connoisseur Javier