Liked it but not what I expected

Rating: 9/10 (4 June 2010)

Firstly, I love Russell Brand. Secondly, I have seen but pretty much hated My Favorite Year. I thought this was going to be the same thing. It is and then it isn't. It's not as much of a comedy to be honest. And they totally sell it as a comedy, which they do with all Apatow movies and I don't know why. Forgetting Sarah Marshall to me was barely a comedy because it's about a guy who is depressed the whole time. This isn't really that different. Just in this case it's a drug addict rock star who is pretty much headed on the road that many people have taken in recent years and ended up as a breaking news obit at the top of this website. It's another bromance as well, which is fine by me. All these movies are more sentimental than they'd have you believe in the trailers. I personally think that's detrimental to the movie because it makes people expect one thing and get another and then write on the internet how disappointed they are. Problem is, it's not a bad movie. It's actually a good movie about the record industry and people and how they treat each other in such a ridiculous lifestyle with some funny bits thrown in.
I love Russell Brand and Jonah Hill together. I think they have the best chemistry. Their scenes together, pretty much the whole film, were more personal than funny. The more comedic parts usually happen when other people enter the mix. P. Diddy, for example, had a much larger role than I expected and he was okay in it. I probably would have cast an actor with more comedy experience, as well as choosing a different rock star cameo for Jackie Q's other love interest. But apart from that I really have no complaints. Perhaps I would have used more of Aldous' songs throughout the film, but that's because I quite like Brand's voice. I don't know that it was necessary for the plot.
Other stuff. It's an R for a reason. There's sex humor and drug stuff going on. There are some breasts but not much else in the nudity dept. that I can recall. I guess I'd recommend it for people like me who like English rock stars and comedies with warm fuzzies.