I really enjoy raunchy comedy movies. The raunchier the better. However, you’ll find that “Get Him to the Greek” transcends “raunchy” and moves from my idea of good “raunchy” from “Porky’s” or “The Hangover” to scenes that are disgusting and drop vile f-bombs in the beyond-raunchy antics. Still, “Get Him to the Greek” has really solid comedy moments and you have to keep your vilifying remarks in check until the end. “Get Him to the Greek” isn’t for everyone. Frankly, it’s only for those who can take vile, crass behavior aided by extreme debauchery and sift through to a real story. It’s not an easy ride with “Get Him to the Greek,” but you’ll find it’s worth it in the end in more ways than one … watch the movie and you’ll understand this pun.
‘Get Him to the Greek’
(2010; 109 minutes; rated R; directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss and Sean “Diddy” Combs)
A ROCK STAR IS A ROCK STAR, RIGHT?
“Get Him to the Greek” is difficult to define. It is a movie that has the most debauchery above and way beyond most raunchy films; it is a movie with what seems to have more vulgarity than regular words; and it is a movie with lots of drug use and abuse. Yes, this film deserves an R-rating, but it is a movie that rises above all I’ve just written.
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Don’t turn off “Get Him to the Greek” in general disgust like I did after 30 minutes or so. You’ll be tempted because of the vile behavior and the infusion of crass language, but that would be a mistake because I found out that “Get Him to the Greek” is worth your time and, despite profanity and profane behavior, you get really excellent work from headliners Jonah Hill and Russell Brand as well as from pretty much the rest of the cast.
In short, you have a rock star (Brand as “Aldous Snow”) whose career and life have taken a downward turn; a young entertainment agent (Hill as “Aaron Green”); and a tough-talking, tough-minded head of Pinnacle records (Sean “Diddy” Combs as “Sergio Roma”) who orders Hill to escort Brand from London to a concert in Los Angeles.
Hill has come up with the idea of the concert as the tenth anniversary of Brand’s seminal concert at the Greek Theatre as Combs berates his staff to come up with ideas to make money for the record company. Combs finally embraces the idea and sets Hill off on a journey into the mind of rock ’n’ roll.
First, there’s a party evening in London as Hill keeps failing in trying to get Brand on a flight to New York for the “Today” show and then Hill smoking all Brand’s weed and drinking his flask dry so the star will be sober for his “Today” show appearance and concert (Hill shows up with vomit on his jacket).
However, you start to get an inkling of where Brand’s character is going when he forgets the lyrics to his last song that he was supposed to sing in concert at the “Today” show, but then sings a previous hit that resonates more for him and his concert audience than the failed latest song.
From there, it’s to Las Vegas and a reunion with his father that doesn’t match many father-son reunions in cinematic or TV history (wait for the “Jeffrey”) and the reappearance of Combs as he and Hill stroke the “furry wall” (watch the movie, this is actually in context). It’s certainly a party to remember.
Next comes a brutal homecoming in Los Angeles for Hill that turns into a threesome with his girlfriend and Brand (again … watch the film, it actually is in context); a few additional slices of personal angst for everyone, especially Brand as he “reunites” with his former wife, but she’s with a famous drummer now and she asks him to talk to her … well, again, watch the movie; and then, finally, the concert before the wrap.
Now, here a look at the top of the cast …
A two-time Oscar nominee and two-time Golden Globe nominee, Hill is in the middle of every disgusting thing that happens in the film. His character is a big fan of “Aldus Snow” and is happy to have had the idea of a concert, but once involved with Brand … well, let’s just say he’s a participant because of circumstance. From hiding Brand’s drugs up his backside to having his cell phone accidentally call his girlfriend allowing her to hear blatant sexuality going on with him, Hill plays the straight man well and he plays the drugged-up lowlife well, too. He manages to shift emotional gears with aplomb and, despite the sleaze, this was an excellent effort from him. I liked Hill better in both “Moneyball” (one of his two Oscar nominations and one Globe nomination – click here to read my review) and in a bit part in the Coen brothers’ “Hail, Caesar!” (click here to read my review), but he was also in “The Wolf of Wall Street” with Leonardo DiCaprio (his second Oscar nomination), which is just about as vile as “Get Him to the Greek.” He’s also been in the “Jump Street” flicks and is simply on the A-list in comedy (I also enjoyed his small parts in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” – click here to read my review – and the stoner flick “Grandma’s Boy” – click here to read my review). Hill’s other Globe nomination was for “War Dogs.”- I didn’t know what to expect from Brand as I hadn’t seen him much outside the MTV-like existence he was better known for at the time of the release of the film. However, Brand is pitch-perfect as the rock star on his way down: he’s infantile; he’s puerile; he’s … well, just about every –ile you can imagine. He also has a perfect physical appearance with his long, dark hair; his somewhat boyish-but-still-evil smile and, at nearly 6-foot-2, he’s not Hollywood mini-man in a role where he must wear elevator lifts in his shoes. Brand projects the character of “Aldous Snow” in a solid, straightforward way and makes this naughty, disgusting child-man have endearing traits to catch your emotions. Sadly, Brand was the title character in the remake of “Arthur” (it should never have been “re-booted”) and his resume has both credits in front of and behind the camera as well as writing credits.
- A Primetime Emmy nominee, Sean “Diddy” Combs is my favorite actor in the movie. He is manic; he is profane; and he expresses himself through f-bombs and a sharp, cutting tongue. All in all, Combs is just wonderful and you want to see more and more, but have to believe that filmmakers didn’t have more of him in “Get Him to the Greek” because they thought the audience would combust right in the theater. Combs, who didn’t use “Diddy” in the credits, knows his business and his character knows his business and it is a good marriage of actor to the role. Although most of his acting “credits” are for music videos, he was nominated for his Emmy for “A Raisin in the Sun” and has been in films as varied as “Muppets Most Wanted” and “Monster’s Ball.” He was also an agent in a small part in “Draft Day” (click here to read my review).
- A two-time Golden Globe winner and two-time winner and 13-time nominee for Primetime Emmys, Elizabeth Moss plays “Daphne Binks” and she plays Hill’s live-in girlfriend. Moss gets more out of the less that she was given for her character than you could initially imagine. Moss’ character needs to move to Seattle to further her medical career as a doctor, but that would mean Hill would have to move, too. It is this plot twist that sends Hill off believing his debauchery is OK since they “broke up.” Well, they didn’t really; and she shows her character’s mettle when meeting Brand and winding up the threesome. Moss is simply superb as the quietest, least vile and profane member of the cast … and she’s the one who agrees to the threesome! Moss earned both Emmys and six nominations for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and seven nominations as “Peggy Olson” on “Mad Men.” Moss won her Globes for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Top of the Lake” and was nominated for “Mad Men” and twice for “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
- Colm Meany plays “Jonathan Snow” and he’s Brand’s father. He plays in a band for a “Rat Pack” cover show at a Las Vegas hotel and is every much the party animal that you’ve already seen with Brand. A perennial supporting cast member, Meany does solid work here switching from good vibes with Brand to each cursing the other out to flinging bottles and plates at Combs during the party in Vegas. Meany knows just how far to take a character and doesn’t manage to over-do the part of “Jonathan Snow” (which would have been all too easy for some actors). He has been in “Con Air” and “Under Siege” (click here to read my review) as well as TV series such as “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Hell on Wheels.” He’s probably most recognized for his 173 episodes on TV’s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as “Chief Miles O’Brien.”
You’ll find a few “names” from the entertainment world in the film (see the trivia notes at the end of this review), but you’ll give thanks if you don’t spot the talentless spotlight-grubbing Meghan Markle in an uncredited role as “Tatiana.” If you do notice her, a few seconds away from the film and you won’t remember her unremarkable appearance.
“Get Him to the Greek” all wraps up with everything copacetic to everyone. Hill and Moss are back together and in Seattle as her medical career has taken her; Brand is again sober and performing under Hill’s new label for the company that he founded; and everyone is just peachy with everyone.
It’s the kind of ending for a Doris Day film, not one of the most disgusting R-rated films you can watch, but, again like the overall film, it works in this case!
BTW … Brand reprises the character of rock star “Aldus Snow” from the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Hill was in that one, too, but as a different character. In any case, the same filmmakers that did “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” did “Get Him to the Greek,” too.
“Get Him to the Greek” was the 53rd ranked film at U.S. theaters in 2010 with $60.9 million in ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. The No. 1 film was “Avatar” with $466.1 million; at No. 2 was “Toy Story 3” with $415 million; and at No. 3 was Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” with $334.1 million. “Get Him to the Greek” is the only film from 2010 that I’ve reviewed for my blog.
Assorted cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):
- Rose Byrne, who plays Brand’s former wife “Jackie Q,” and Moss have the same birthday: July 24. Brand and T.J. Miller, who plays “Brian the Concierge,” share the same birthday: June 4.
- Lars Ulrich, who is the drummer for Metallica, has a small part as Byrne’s lover and is entirely forgettable in this role.
- Included in the cast is Christina Aguilera, Pink and Kurt Loder.
- Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “Though not credited, the following celebrities appear in photos early in the film during the display of various magazine and newspaper headlines tracking Aldous’s fall and Jackie’s rise (all appear with Jackie): Derek Jeter, Owen Wilson, and Johnny Depp.”
- Click here to read the rather bland trivia page on IMDb.com about the film …
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