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In 2008, Jason Segel gave us laugh-out-loud brilliance with FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, a film in which the comedy was consistently solid and bolstered by a surprisingly effective dose of dramatic insight on relationships. That film's pleasures were many, not least of which was the delightfully crazy and hedonistic character Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a British rock star who specializes in drinking, drugs and sex and doesn't really care for anything else. FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL featured some incredibly well-played scenes between Aldous and a subservient waiter (Jonah Hill), a hardcore fan of the singer, who did everything in his power to please Aldous.
So uproarious were the interactions between Brand and Hill as they played their respective characters that they have been brought back in GET HIM TO THE GREEK for a spin-off of sorts, in which (of course) Brand is reprising his role as the thoroughly unorthodox Aldous, while Hill is playing a different character, who is not so much subservient as he's forced to take on the seemingly insurmountable task of getting Aldous to a concert in Los Angeles. Yes, drugs, alcohol and women are indeed the obstacles that get in the way of this wacky road trip, but not for a second does it get old. Brand and Hill play off each other so well that GET HIM TO THE GREEK can't ever be a boring film.
"Imagine a white, African Christ from space," is among the first lines delivered by Aldous in the film (in reference to himself), which gives the audience a perfect idea of the delightfully offensive humor that they're in for. The film features a hilarious slow-motion sequence (after the two characters have consumed absinthe, of all things) at a dance club, and an insanely gross method to conceal heroin in order to get through airport security. As with the latter case, drugs are often the, um, butt of the joke in GET HIM TO THE GREEK. There's a particularly well-written scene in which a character goes up to hotel reception with the objective of asking for drugs, and the way the request is made is incredibly funny.
The first half of GET HIM TO THE GREEK offers exactly what will be expected by those who are hoping to see more of Brand and Hill humorously play off each other. The second half offers something a little different. The film becomes more dramatic, dealing particularly with the way in which celebrities' agents and managers sometimes manipulate the celebrities they represent, even if it means causing physical/emotional harm. Since Brand and Hill both played supporting characters in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, they never had opportunities to take part in that film's more dramatic moments, but they do in GET HIM TO THE GREEK. I don't have much of a problem with that, but I must admit that it's a little awkward that the movie transitions from comedy to drama in a somewhat jarring way. FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL seamlessly balanced comedy with drama as a side dish, while GET HIM TO THE GREEK goes from balls-out comedy to surprisingly deep drama (neither is handled poorly - I'm simply saying that the transition was a bit unexpected). The scene in which the transition from comedy to drama starts to take place is probably the scene in the film towards which I have the most mixed feelings. It's a quasi "fight sequence" between four characters, two of whom have (of course) smoked a "Jeffrey" (which is WAY more intoxicating than a mere joint). The scene itself feels strange and disjointed, though I appreciate the fact that it's played to the tune of "Come on Eileen," and that a character later describes the scuffle as "Kubrickian," which it kind of was.
Audience members' enjoyment of the first half of GET HIM TO THE GREEK will, quite simply, depend on how funny they find a line like "Press 7 for fellatio," while their enjoyment of the second half will depend on whether or not they can appreciate the new, tragic spin that is given to the character of Aldous Snow during the climax of the film. I can't deny that it feels like GET HIM TO THE GREEK consists of two different movies that were attached to one another, but I also can't deny that I enjoyed both of them. In the midst of all the sequel/remake/reboot craze that currently afflicts Hollywood, here's a case in which it's actually worthwhile to meet up again with a character we've seen before. Can we please just ban the SEX AND THE CITY girls for good, and green-light more projects like this? I think ALDOUS SNOW: THE CONCERT MOVIE would have tons of potential.
6/10
