Get Him to the Greek: Why do we need to laugh?
Posted: Tuesday, October 12, 2010
by Brombergs 2 Cents
We all need to laugh.
Let's face it. With so much drama in the world, a down economy, politics heating up as we near election day, and no end in sight of Justin Bieber fever (just kidding), we need to have some release of all the tension coming from our daily lives of work, dealing with the kids and/or in-laws, and definitely a break from (gulp) watching the news.
Everyone needs a comedy here and there. The question simply becomes: what type of comedy?
Depending on your age group and/or mood, there is a comedy out there for you. It's like going to Baskin Robbins and looking at all the flavors of ice cream: dark comedy, light comedy, screwball comedy, classic comedy, quirky comedy, 80s comedy, drama/comedy, romantic comedy, action comedy, juvenile comedy, raunchy comedy, spoof comedy, and so on. One of these flavors is sure to tickle your funny bone.
New on DVD, Get Him to the Greek is a zany and raunchy comedy definitely not for the kiddies. I suppose any movie where they also make an ‘unrated' version is likely good proof that it earns its R rating. This is not as bad as it may sound because the R rating stems mostly from dialogue, and not from sex or violence.
In a moment, I'll give you 3 very strong reasons to see this film!
Jonah Hill and Russell Brand play the two main characters: a twenty-something year old "normal" employee of a record label and a flashy, excess-loving British rock star who churned out a bad album, and has gone down hill ever since.
The premise of the film is that Hill has the idea for Brand to have a concert at the Greek Theater in LA to celebrate an anniversary of when he was last there (ten years ago), in an effort to jumpstart his career and put him back in the spotlight. The comedy comes into play when a mild-mannered Hill attempts to bring the outrageous rockstar back to LA for the concert. This endeavor is, as you might guess, much easier said than done.
Why I recommend this film:
1) Sean (P Diddy) Combs plays Hill's boss and let me tell you, by far he is my favorite part of the film. P Diddy is hilarious and definitely an asset to an already strongly comedic cast. The film can be over-the-top in one perspective but then on the other hand, realistic in another. The rockstar life is something we can only imagine to be one of heavy booze, drugs, parties, and an intense social climate like only celebrities could conjure up. What we see in the film is a good estimation of that slice of life done for the purpose of comedy, as opposed to biopics where we see the music legends drink themselves into drama (see Jeff Bridges in the great film Crazy Heart).
2) There is much to be said about pop music and how funny the ups and downs come about in some of the careers that we, as music lovers, have witnessed. A character in the film makes a comment that every pop star has one bad album (or maybe at least a bad song), and this is an interesting point. We see this phenomenon quite clearly in the beginning of the movie, when the audience is treated to the music video of Brand's horrible dud entitled "African Child" –a song that is so tacky in its presentation of African poverty and lifestyle, it is funny (because we know the writers are making a point by showcasing the fictitious song).
3) Movies can be zany comedies with baseless undertones and superficial characters. Movies can also be zany comedies with meaningful satire and poignant, fleshed out characters. Get Him to the Greek is the latter. Don't get me wrong, this is not a deep film by any means, but it does have heart. I applaud movies that can both be bold in its laughs and full in its story arc.
When you go to see a big rockstar, you wonder about the life behind the scenes, and you envision a life where substantial relationships are scarce and the one night stand reigns supreme. Here is a lifestyle where you can imagine it being interesting for a few weeks or maybe even a few months. But eventually, you find yourself back at the hotel room looking at yourself in the mirror wondering what your purpose is in life, just like the Fortune 500 CEO that looks at his view of the city in the penthouse suite of his high-rise, the big-time producer that has made his share of 100 mill box office movies and has already bought summer homes in Tuscany, Laguna Beach, and the Hamptons, or the president of the country when nothing seems to be getting done even though you have passed a few legislations and done your best to keep your people afloat and the environment from going to hell. No matter how successful you are in life, you still wonder if you are doing what you need to be doing to be happy. Now that-is something to think about, isn't it? I think so. People often struggle to get to be at the top of their game, but rarely do they think about what they might do when they reach the apex.
You never miss things until they are gone. We see these blood-thirsty savages exemplified on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps that want only one thing in life: more. Some people will never be happy with what they have. This is sad, right?
So here we are. I have taken a goofy comedy and extrapolated some pretty complex themes from it, which should speak to not only American society, but humans in other cultures as well (hopefully).
There's nothing wrong with always making high goals for oneself, but when it is to the point when we are rarely satisfied with who we are-now this, I argue, is a problem.
Story: 7
Cinematography: Average
Acting: 7 (especially strong from P Diddy)
I enjoy rock music behind the scenes stories. I enjoy comedies. I enjoy satire. Get Him to the Greek encompasses all three. Check it out on Blu-ray or DVD. 3 out of 4 stars.
Nice article, Bromberg. I think people who are never satisfied possibly don't know there's a difference between what they need and what they want. Also, when we look at "successful" people, we don't know how much they've sold their souls and hearts to reach their apex. Somehow I don't think the apex is as rewarding as it can look like from the outside.Absolutely! I think you caught the spirit of the article! People spend so much time worrying about the future or dwelling on the past that they forget to enjoy the present. Thanks for the comment Jennifer!
Another movie I'll have to see. A zany comedy with a story line. Now that's funny all by itself.I went to see Life As We Know It based on your recommendation and I really enjoyed it. Thanks.I'm so glad you liked Life As We Know It! Did you see it with the kids, and leave the hubby to his cave? hehe
Thanks Linda for the lovely comment!
