Saturday, June 5, 2010

Get Him to the Greek




imdb link  Photos

Plot:  Aldus Snow, (Russell Brand) is a washed up British rock star who makes some ridiculous rock music. Music execs Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) and Sergio (Sean Combs/P. Diddy) decide to stage a comeback concert at The Greek Theater. Aaron goes to London to bring the Aldus to the US and then to the theater. Aldus is a nightmare, and drags Jonah to bars and parties, as they travel from London to the Today Show in New York to Las Vegas to LA's Greek Theater. There is a major subplot with Aaron and his girlfriend Daphne (Elizabeth Moss) whose relationship gets a makeover from Aldus.

Review: This is a showcase for Russell Brand who owns this film with his confidence and attitude. He is perfect as a conceited, self-absorbed, drug-addicted rock star. The film is a road movie as Aldus and Aaron move from place to place through wild situations. The fun is watching Russell Brand.

This is a sequel to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," focussing on Aldus Snow, but this is not a romantic-comedy instead it is a road picture or buddy picture.

I loved Aldus' opening song African Child, which is so awful and funny and over-the-top. The funniness of the movie comes from the absurd situations and absurd people. This is an R-rated movie, so it can be pretty crude.

Like Hot Tube Time Machine guys will like this more than women. Daphne is the only sympathetic female character, and there are a lot of body-part and sex jokes.


The Today Show scenes are funny. 


Cast: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne

Written and directed by: Nicholas Stroller

Rating: 2.5 flasks


More: Albus says I am an "African, White Jesus from Outer Space."
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Monday, May 31, 2010

An Education


imdb link  Photos

Plot: Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a smart high school girl, is distracted from her studies by an affair with a thirty-something man, Jack (Alfred Molina.)

Review:  The first three-fourths of the movie are cringe-worthy as Jack seduces Jenny, and we see what a creep he is. Jenny seems oblivious -- although maybe 16 year olds are like that. I really did not like the movie, and I ultimately decided to work on my blog why the movie played. At the climax of the movie, the Jenny/Jack relationship let's say changes, and the movie becomes a lot more interesting.

I thought the parents were funny, and they lighted up the mood.

Carey Mulligan's performance was good through-out. I don't know that it was Oscar quality.

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina

Directed by: Lone Scherfig based on the memoir of Lynn Barber

Rating: 1.5 flasks; almost 1 flask since the beginning was so hard to watch. Redeemed by a likeable ending.


More:  Here is a profile on Lynn Barber upon whom the movie is based. The book comes down even harder on her parents than the movie does.
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