Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney, Sean Combs
Run Time:
109 minutes
Synopsis
Aaron Green (Hill) gets things done. The ambitious
24–year–old has been given a career–making assignment. His mission: Fly
to London and escort a rock god to L.A.'s world famous Greek Theatre for
the first–stop on a huge comeback tour. His record mogul boss, Sergio
Roma (Sean Combs), gives him one warning: "The artist is the worst
person on Earth. Turn your back on him at your own peril." British
rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) is a brilliant musician, but due to a bad
break up and nose–diving career, has fallen off the wagon and is now a
drunken disaster. Weary of "yes men" and scared he's entered the
"greatest hits" moment in his career, Snow's in the midst of a
nihilistic downward spiral. When he learns his true love, model/pop star
Jackie Q (Rose Byrne), is in Los Angeles, Aldous makes it his quest to
win her back... right before kick–starting his world domination. As the
countdown to the concert begins, one innocent young man must navigate a
minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap
dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound... all while
trying to remain faithful to his med student girlfriend (Elisabeth
Moss). He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but
Aaron will get him to the Greek.
Movies:Get Him to the Greek
Director:Nick Stoller
Genre: Comedy
Movie Type: Buddy Film, Showbiz Comedy
Themes: Race Against Time, Musician's Life
Main Cast: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss
Release Year: 2010
Country: US
Run Time: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
An ambitious young record company executive attempts to transport an unpredictable rock star to L.A.'s Greek Theatre in time for his hotly anticipated comeback performance in this spin-off of the comedy hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Aaron Green (Jonah Hill)
has just landed his dream job in the record industry, and he's eager to
prove his worth. His first assignment: travel to London and escort
British rock god Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to the show that will re-ignite his career. Before he departs, Aaron is warned by his boss Sergio Roma (Sean Combs)
to never let Aldous out of his sight, and never underestimate his
capacity for mayhem. Immensely talented yet deeply tortured, Aldous hit
the bottle hard after his popularity began to wane and his girl walked
out on him. Aldous is locked in the midst of an existential crisis, and
rues the thought of being accompanied across the pond by an insincere
sycophant. Though it seems like sex is the only thing Aldous ever thinks
about, his thoughts turn to romance when he discovers that gorgeous
model/pop singer Jackie Q (Rose Byrne)
will be in Los Angeles at the time of his concert, too. Jackie Q is the
love of Aldous' life, and he'll do anything and everything to win her
heart. With the concert fast approaching and Aaron's fledgling career on
the line, the race is on to get Aldous to the Greek, and ensure the big show goes off without a hitch. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Review
Working as a sort-of sequel to Forgetting Sarah Marshall,
Get Him to the Greek may not have that film's occasionally serious
emotional undertow, but pound for pound (which is not a fat joke aimed
at Jonah Hill) it just might be the funniest summer film of 2010.
Frumpy music exec Aaron Green (Hill), under orders from his motor-mouthed boss, Sergio (Sean Combs), must get faded, drug-addled rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) from London to L.A. to play a comeback gig at the Greek Theatre.
While this seems like a straightforward assignment, Aldous turns out to
be quite a handful, and with Aaron nursing a broken heart after a big
blow-up with his girlfriend (Elisabeth Moss), he is easily distracted by the easy sex and the powerful drugs that go hand in hand with his charge.
That description makes Get Him to the Greek sound like an international version of The Hangover,
but it turns out to be more than just a wild ride through a few
hedonistic days in the party-hearty life of a superstar. Nicholas
Stoller, who has learned well from producer Judd Apatow, instills just enough personality and humanity in the characters to make them people rather than just cardboard cutouts.
Brand, reprising his breakout character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall,
captures all of Aldous' unchecked self-absorption without sacrificing
an ounce of charisma -- he's a near-perfect fusion of Jim Morrison, Noel
Gallagher, and Pete Doherty. By maintaining that egocentric base, Brand
makes sure the film never gets too soft, even when there's a poignant
-- and still hilarious -- scene between Aldous and his son. As far as
comedy duos go, he and Hill are a perfect match -- it's funny just to
stare at the two of them side by side. But Hill, who is a savvier
performer than he gets credit for, doesn't rely on just his lumpy
physique to score laughs. Watching him slowly lose his wide-eyed
innocence and hero worship of Aldous -- especially when his idol forces
him to be his personal drug mule -- gives the film a subtle, and
necessary, emotional arc. The two characters complement each other
perfectly because Aldous is an emotional infant and Aaron looks like a
cherub with five-o'clock shadow, and thanks to each other they both grow
up a little.
But don't make the assumption that the comedy stops for big touchy-feely
moments of emotional truth and revelation. Those scenes are there, but
they never feel like major tonal shifts -- the warmth is interlaced with
the comedy, and the whole cast pulls off the emotional balancing act. Sean Combs surprises with a performance so good that he's funnier than Chris Rock or Martin Lawrence have ever been onscreen; Elisabeth Moss
has a quirky delivery that meshes with Hill's line readings in a way
that makes us feel that they really are a couple; and a handful of
inspired cameos -- the less you know who to expect the funnier they are
-- keep the laughs coming along at a steady clip.
Director Nick Stoller, who also helmed Forgetting Sarah Marshall,
has a gift for knowing exactly how much time to spend on a joke. While
the out-of-control Vegas party builds with a steady anticipation that
pays off in a burst of slapstick lunacy (imagine the Alfred Molina sequence from Boogie Nights
minus the threat of death), he also creates a montage covering Aaron's
first night partying with Aldous that plays like anyone's fragmented
memories of their most drunken escapade. Throw in a promo for yet
another TV show starring Sarah Marshall, and Stoller's versatility
becomes readily apparent.
With so much skill in front of and behind the camera, it's little wonder
that Get Him to the Greek proves to be a well-crafted, screamingly
funny comedy. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi