GET HIM TO THE GREEK

By the time the title flashes across the screen, we've already been caught up to speed to what Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) has been up to since we last saw him at the end of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Enjoying a sober life with his girlfriend Jackie Q (a brilliant Rose Byrne), Snow has just released his latest album African Child, which critics have described as "the third worst thing to happen to Africa behind famine and war." Due to the professional backlash, Jackie expresses her displeasure and boredom live on Showbiz Tonight to Brooke Anderson, all the while doing her best Catherine Tramell impression. And with that, Snow is off the wagon and begins a tour-de-force of debauchery that only hints at what we are in store for.

Greek, along with Hot Tub Time Machine are the year's two best comedies thus far. While Time Machine plays to a slightly more subtle tune, Greek goes buck wild from the get go, and hardly ever lets up. If you've seen the trailer, you'll know that it's closing in on the ten year anniversary of Aldous Snow's most famous and lucrative concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Enter Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), an employee of Pinnacle Records, and a lifelong fan of Snow and his band Infant Sorrow. Aaron is commissioned to babysit Snow from his home in London to a stopover in New York City for a Today Show interview with Meredith Vieira, and finally on to L.A. for his reunion concert.

I can only imagine the outtakes provided by Brand and Hill when the Blu-ray comes out, in what I would guess were very improvised performances. A handful of amusing scenes from the trailer aren't even in the final cut--another reason to pick up the discs on their release. Brand is his usual chaotic self. He stole every scene he was in during the prequel of sorts in Marshall; what was only glimpsed at then, comes to a frenetic head in Greek. I laughed throughout the film and would welcome a second viewing to catch the lines I missed the first time. It's hard to select a favourite part, but the Vegas scenes rightfully stick out and prove once more that Sin City is the right location to host a gross-out comedy. Most every scene when the pace quickens is a memorable one; when it slows down and tries to get serious is when the story lags just a bit.

Hill is his usual pudgy, funny self, and his schtick isn't tiring yet, but it will be nice to see him broaden his acting horizons. The upcoming Cyrus might provide that opportunity. The highlight for me, as I suspect it will be for others, was the performance of Sean "Diddy" Combs as Aaron's boss Sergio. It's obvious to see that Combs hugely enjoyed playing this role. The fight scene between himself, Aldous' father Jonathan (Colm Meaney), and Snow, while Aaron is high after smoking a mixture of narcotics needs to be seen to be believed.

Intermixed into the story is the relationship between Aaron and his live-in girlfriend Daphne (Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss), a Gossip Girl loving doctor who is pressuring a move to Seattle. She doesn't have a lot of screen time, but plays it very well when afforded the chance. An awkward tryst between Daphne, Aaron and Snow appears near the end. I am a sucker for cameos and Greek offers many to whet the appetite. Pink, Christina Aguiliera, Dee Snider, Pharrell, economist Paul Krugman, Lars Ulrich, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Rick Schroder and Kristen Bell all poke their heads in and around the film that elicited cheers throughout.

Greek won't win any major awards, but no one should expect that going in. An exemplary cast, with standout performances by Brand and Combs will fill theatres and bring audiences back for more. It's littered with ridiculously memorable moments and quotable lines, and what else can we ask for from a great comedy?