Get Him To The Greek

The Seven signs of the Apocalypse are upon us. They are wearing sweaters in Hell. Frogs are raining from the sky. OK get ready for this. You may never see this in print again. Ever. Sean Combs and Russell Brand are excellent in the very funny and sometimes poignant "Get Him To The Greek". (AHHHHH! The Frogs!!)
I can't stand Russell Brand. I can't stand the type of performer he is. All hype and flash and no substance. I wouldn't cast Sean "Puffy" Combs to play third dog catcher from the left. Last night the Apocalypse came.
It is still a mystery why I even went to this movie. Late night show, hoping for a laugh. I had low expectations. What a pleasant surprise. The dialogue between Hill and Brand was snappy and grounded by the realty of the characters. Hill struggles to get his footing at first but as soon as Brand's Aldous Snow enters the scene he relaxes into it. Eventually they end up as a raunchy version of Abbott and Costello, only this time the fat guy is the straight man. They play off each other perfectly. But here's the twist. By the end of the film, it feels almost like a character study of an aging and irrelevant rock star. Brand softens the gimmicky stuff in favor of some honest emotion. I'm not sure why, but it works. And just like in the best Abbott and Costello movies, no one lets the plot get in the way. Storyline-wise, everything you need to know is in the title.
Don't get me wrong. It ain't perfect. The women's roles are underwritten and that's being generous. If you're looking for it, you won't have any trouble finding a streak of serious misogyny. And there's a scene in which Hill, Brand and Elizabeth Moss attempt a threesome that has to be one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever seen on film. And I mean like watching "91/2 Weeks" with your grandmother uncomfortable. Should have been cut. This movie is also unapologetically raunchy in terms of language, sexual situations and overall demeanor. Believe the R rating. But it has its sweet side too. Best of all it's genuinely hysterical.
So if ya like it rough and funny with a splash of heart, buy a ticket to the Greek.