Ryan McNeil
In GET HIM TO THE GREEK, Jonah Hill plays a record label intern named Aaron Green, tasked with babysitting a rock star. I have to believe that this isn’t far off the mark. There must be in credulous people in the music industry tasked with getting stars to interviews, to photo sessions, and on stage in some level of sobriety. In some ways, this movie is for them…but they deserved a better spokesperson than the one time Superbaddie, Hill.
As the film begins, we see what has become of rock star Aldous Snow (Russel Brand), the lead singer of Infant Sorrow. His latest album – the massively misfiring and deeply racist “African Child” – has bombed. His relationship with enabling party girl Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) has crashed & burned. He’s drowning his sorrows in massive amount of booze, sex, and drugs…so when Aaron Green comes to ferry him to the show of a lifetime at The Greek Theatre, suffice it to say that Snow isn’t exactly “daisy fresh”.
Green is trying to juggle a lot by completing this one job. He is trying to win the favour of the record label rep, Sergio (P. Diddy – easily one of the best things about this movie). He is trying to play a part in getting an artist he admires back on top. And behind the scenes, he is trying to make sense of his relationship with Daphne (Elisabeth Moss) that is coming apart at the seams.
Aaron getting Snow everywhere he needs to be isn’t so easy. The problem isn’t just trying to keep a leash on Snow’s rock & roll indulgences, it’s Aaron trying to stay out of the line of fire and avoid himself being incapacitated by those very excesses. Can the comeback be completed? Can Snow get his act together for one more show? Can Aaron, indeed “get him to The Greek” before it all falls apart.
Most importantly – do we really care?
In GET HIM TO THE GREEK, I was constantly bothered by Jonah Hill. Thinking about this character in this situation, I find myself sympathizing…but not in the way Jonah Hill plays him. He’s a schlub; a guy who only got into this position through an extreme bit of dumb luck. Watching him try to handle Aldous Snow, and how he can’t seem to handle himself, I have to wonder how he isn’t left on the outside of more velvet ropes – music industry insider or not.
That said, I did find myself pitying him when he goes through multiple moments of anal violation. That’s right – he’s put in this rather unfunny position more than once in this film. Why is this funny? Moments like this had me sighing out of boredom instead of laughing. As if they weren’t enough, we also have to endure multiple scenes of stale party montages, bad drug trips, and full tilt debauchery. One of these are more than enough – going back for seconds is a waste of time.
The premise of this movie was going to be a bit of a minefield. We’ve seen film after film where characters are trying to duck and dodge through a hard-partying obstacle course. Making this the crux of a movie, makes it start the game one goal behind because we’ve already seen this before. What fresh party-gone-wrong, bad tripping, hard-drinking material can we possibly be about to see that we haven’t seen in a few dozen movies before it?
Why this challenge especially irritate me, is because GET HIM TO THE GREEK doesn’t just present Aldous Snow as a hard-partying has-been. It dares to give us many quiet moments of him reflecting on where he went wrong with his personal life. Brand plays him as a truly sad clown, a man looking to mend many fences, and a man who really isn’t happy with who he has become. One glimpse of this side of him would have been token…the fact that this comes up over and over shows me that this film could have been on to something.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK did make me laugh…quite a bit actually. However almost all of that was based around Russel Brand and the character of Aldous Snow. That’s strange because I never counted myself a fan of Brand or his comedy. However, he has a way of playing Snow that mixes cleverness, eccentricity, and an odd amount of intelligence. He was one of the things I liked most about FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, and I was happy to hear he was getting his own film…
…I just wish this film wasn’t it.
Yeah, I was surprised this film has garnered a good deal of positive reviews (sitting at 75% on RT). Something I may notch up to just a lackluster year, and critics (who have to watch all the crap films) just needing a break. The commercials for this just didn't seem all that funny too me. I may rent this, but I'm thinking it's an HBO/cable viewing.
Also Mad, I sent yah an email yesterday looking for some feedback on an idea I had. If you get the chance have a look, and let me know. I'd greatly appreciate it. Have a good one!
I'll be seeing it next week probably…I didn't know Rose Byrne was in it, though.
I always thought Russell Brand's comedy bordered on the manic-energy, Dane Cook school, the kind Funny People parodied.
Great review, anyway.
White Space Christ. The clip they previewed on funny or die had me curious, but I think I'll rent it instead.
Don't know what to make of this movie yet, but I'm actually quite excited to see it. Hell, a couple of laughs is all I need.
Excellent review. You really hit the mark with this one. I think this film proves that Jonah Hill has finally jumped the shark, (despite the anal violations and such.)
Totally formulaic now this stuff just isn't funny anymore. The lady beside me was though… "Look at that Jonah Hill, he's all neck."
Not good. Not at all.
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I honestly really liked this one. I thought it was flat out hilarious, and actually kinda sweet. I think Hill did a good job, even though he was constantly overpowered by Brand and Sean Combs. Regardless, I don't think he's jumped the shark quite yet, although he will never get back to his SUPERBAD days.
@ Univarn… I'm not surprised that it's doing well, I'm a little surprised that it's doing so well. I see this more as a love-it-or-hate-it type film. Strange.
Saw your email – it's been a hectic weekend though. I'll get back to ya to night.
@ Simon… Can't say I've ever been a fan of Brand's comedy before. Strangely though, I really dug him in this film. Weird the way that happens, ain't it?
@ Fitz… The early part of the movie is filled with a lot of throw-a-way gags like that.
@ Atroxion… It'll likely give you at least a couple of laughs…just don't say I didn't warn you.
@ Sean… Yeah, I don't remember who said it first but these days it seems like Hill only knows how to act smarmy and how to freak out.
Then again, maybe he can do something different in CYRUS later this summer.
@ Sebastian… You dug it huh? In that case I look forward to reading your post about it so I can see what worked for you that didn't work for me!
Couldn't agree more. This is Brand's movie and when he's doing his thing, it works. Jonah Hill is distractingly unhealthy looking. I don't know if it was the scruffy unshaven thing, but he looked like hell before they even started partying.
However, I did quite enjoy Hill's exchanges w/various news personalities on the Today Show.
I think I can say this wasn't what I expected but I had no expectations:)
Brand made this movie and while I wasn't a big fan of Hill, I didn't mind him. They had good chemistry and thought the "loose" follow-up to Sarah Marshall worked bettern than just giving Brand a vehicle for a new/unproven character.
Crass, crude and funny I rather liked it liked it and it was better than the trailers made it look.
Just got out of this one, and I'll have to go back and listen to yours and Alex's audio review. I liked it. It's not great, and there's quite a bit of spottiness to it (example: Diddy. He's funny in spots, and it others, you really see why he's not more of an actor), but enough of it hit for me to enjoy the trip, cliche as some of it may be. I neither loved nor despised Hill – I'd heard mostly good things about him here, and I didn't find him annoying, so I guess that's a nice backhanded compliment. Brand hit on most of his marks, and the cameos/small roles were all pretty good as well.
A decent diversion that's a step below FSM in total quality. 3/5ish.
@ Megan… Well, yopu did warn me after all! Hill had a moment or two of normalcy which drew me in…but he usually started yelling again after sixty seconds.
That said, I'm slightly curious to see what he can bring to CYRUS later this summer.
@ Marc… Sounds like you dug it a lot more than I did. I'm actually quite disappointed that this is the only follow-up to FSM that we'll get…although I can still hold out hope that we'll eventually see that Dracula musical!
@ Fletch… I think you might be my first ever repeat listener…..this must be what the cast of "Friends" feels like!
Nope, you dug it w-a-a-a-a-y-y-y-y-y-y more than me. I'm still grumpy I went after this one and not SPLICE.
@The Hatter: Just saw Cyrus last night. Happily surprised. Excellent performances. Hill included. I really needed to see a good movie; so glad it turned out to be that one. That's all I can say for now – review coming soonish.
I know it's like comparing apples and telephones, but I dug Greek more than Splice…
@ Megan… Well that gives me hope. Perhaps I just need to swear off films where Jonah Hill is playing "Jonah Hill".
@ Fletch… Apples & telephones? Why not bananas and boxcars??