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First, I enjoy most of the films that have come from Judd Apatow and friends, so I would likely enjoy Get Him to the Greek simply for it's comedic value. BUT, I also find significant value in many such films that I doubt most people bother to consider. This movie is a goofy comedy satirizing the music industry and its partying, drug abusing ways - on the surface. But it's far from Ace Ventura or Happy Gilmore. It has far more substance, and some dark, potentially disturbing themes. Is it Kramer vs. Kramer? No - it's still a raunchy comedy. But anybody who claims it has no value beyond that of a raunchy comedy hasn't taken the time to really think about the film's themes.
The most obvious issue it deals with is the struggle of pop music stars to pursue things in life that are actually of personal value - those things that can lead to satisfaction with one's life. Russell Brand's character, Aldous Snow (carried over from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) has obviously turned to daily drug and alcohol abuse in an effort to distract himself from any other concerns in life. In once scene he says so, although in well written dialogue where he says that his life's to do list only has one thing on it. It's interesting that his character is aware of why he's habitually altering his consciousness with substances.
Another issue is that of enablers in the music industry. Jonah Hill's character (Aaron Green) becomes an enabler as he coddles Snow in an attempt to persuade him to travel to the anniversary concert that Green sees as his big chance at success in the music industry. Snow also has various others, including his mother and some friends in London, who just go along with his lifestyle, never challenging him in any way. As Green tries to coax Snow to NY to appear on the Today Show, and then to LA for the concert, he finds himself doing things he isn't comfortable with. Is this the price a record company executive must pay, or is he selling his soul while using Snow for his own (and his company's) benefit?
There's also a shallower, but bizarre and intriguing turn of events in Green's relationship with his live-in girlfriend. This relationship portrays the way two people who really care about each other can't get past their own pride to heal the relationship. It also brings up questions of putting career ahead of potentially lifelong relationships.
Snow's relationship with his father also comes to the forefront, although it doesn't seem worth much to me, as his dad has no redeeming qualities, and I can't find any answers to the struggles of Snow to reconcile his father's absence in his life.
In the end, this is a silly movie that I expect to appeal to anybody who appreciates the films of Judd Apatow and friends (Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, etc.). I'd rank it second among the films of these writers/producers, behind Knocked Up in its ability to raise some intriguing issues. And it's actually quite challenging to make a film that both succeeds as a comedy and raises some worthwhile questions that are portrayed in a vibrant character who seems almost real. In addition to finding Get Him to the Greek funny (it's worth watching just for some of the scenes with Sean Combs), I found it thought-provoking. It doesn't necessarily answer its own questions in a significant way, but to me it seems to demand some personal responsibility of Snow, the aging rock star who has had it all, but found himself with nothing he wanted. Anybody who dismisses this as just a pointless film that seeks to shock and offend simply isn't willing to consider what it has to offer.
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Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Such a funny film - get it now before it’s cancelled
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2023
