Get Him to the Greek

I feel I have been wrapped up in this TV Meme a little too long already, so I thought I had better get one of these movies I have seen onto the page before I get a serious traffic jam of movies.

Anyway, at the beginning of the month was Mrs. Kano's and my 5-year anniversary. We pretty much decided we weren't doing anything this year, but to my surprise Mrs. Kano had planned a day out and took me to a nice lunch and asked me to select a movie to go and see.

As you know by my blog name, I do not get out to the movies as nearly as often as I would like to. Our lives are just way too busy nowadays, especially with our 3-1/2-year old. So, each summer I scan to see what two or three movies I absolutely want to see in the theater.

At this time, none of those movies were playing.

So, I was stuck between Shrek 4 or Get Him to the Greek. Two movies that I will eventually see on DVD, so either would be fine. Except, as I said, seeing a movie in the theater is a rare treat for us so I didn't want to select a stinker.

And, lucky for us, I didn't.

I adored Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I enjoyed the character of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), but I feel that I enjoyed him only because of his brief moments on screen. Would I really enjoy an entire movie of him?

Well, it turns out that I could. Brand was the best thing about the movie - he had me laughing the entire time and he also played the dramatic parts extremely well. I was very surprised.

I have also been up-and-down on Jonah Hill (who plays Aaron Green here). I liked him in Accepted, but he has been really hit-or-miss for me in almost all of his movies. Even in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as small a role as he had, I despised it.

In Get Him to the Greek, however, I really didn't mind him. Of course, he still isn't my favorite actor on the planet, but he was very serviceable here.

The film starts off with Sergio (P. Diddy, or Sean Combs), who is a record company producer, looking for a way to make some money. Green, a huge Infant Sorrow fan, announces that it has been 10 years since their concert at The Greek Theater and it would be amazing to have an anniversary concert. Sergio thinks about it, and agrees - with one stipulation: Green must get Brand to The Greek in three days (with a stop in NYC in just one).

Brand is in a difficult state at this point. His last record bombed and his lover, Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) has left him - for Lars Ulrich. He has fallen off the wagon, which makes Green's job all the more difficult.

The film had a lot of everything. It had its gross humor, but also just some great jokes. And, like most Apatow movies, there is a moment of drama where the picture can start to pull at your heart strings.

Another thing this film has going for it is the music. Brand's Infant Sorrow was outstanding, and the lyrics to his songs had me rolling.

P. Diddy also did a pretty great job as Sergio. I found his character to be much like Brand's character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where I could take him in small doses - I seriously hope they don't think about spinning him a movie, that might take it a little too far.

Anyways, pleasantly surprised with the film as I was not expecting too much and very happy that this was the film that Mrs. Kano and I selected to see.

Grade: