Going Greek

I went into this movie with some really loooow expectations, but the cast, Dylan Bruno, Oliver Hudson, Susan Ward and more actors whose faces i recognize convinced me to hire this out.

And for some strange reason...i liked it.

Jake is a failed football star who decides to help his geeky cousin get into a fraternity, and while this movie doesn't really teach us anything that we all haven't seen before, i have to say that it is the first time i have ever seen a 'Soggy Biscuit' as we call it in New Zealand, portrayed on screen.

Yes its stupid and immature - but i somehow get the feeling this was exactly what the filmmakers were striving for. Great acting, great cast and a sweet underlying message about friendship make this movie watchable at least.

My only complaints are firstly the tag line on the cover 'Animal House meets American Pie' Animal House is a classic and i don't think this movie will ever come close to the cult status Animal House enjoys. And secondly the lighting in this movie was grainy and horrendous, when i first started watching it my first thought was that i was watching a pirate copy and as the film went along i started thinking that maybe they were using hand held cameras from 1995.

But all in all, a decent movie to watch if you have the time.

Don't let the fact that Going Greek lacks a theatrical release fool you. It is awesomely funny from beginning to end, and especially great for anyone who's ever been to college. Before I continue my review however, I should note that I have a potential bias toward the film. I am in the film as a volunteer "extra" (one of the frat brothers). But I say potential bias, because I was a huge fan of the movie before most of the shooting ever took place. Before doing any work on the film, myself and a group of others were reading Going Greek and we couldn't help laughing convulsively as a huddled mass around the one script we obtained. The movie is truly hysterically funny, so I hope you understand that I write this review as a true fan of the work. Honestly, I feel that the fact it did not get wide theatrical distribution, truly bespeaks the straight forward aggressiveness of its antics and humor. It does not hold back its humor in any self-depricating attempt to "appeal" to the masses. This movie is straight up for those who have wanted a good college film with great laughs. Going Greek's first "cut" and its screenings had great responses and I know that if you ever enjoyed watching Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, and American Pie, you will truly enjoy this film and put your copy of Going Greek right next to them on your shelf. I can't wait to get my copy and finally be able to share its genius with my friends and especially my old college buddies. Enjoy!

A modern day version of Animal House with all the funny antics of the Greek Fraternity and Sorority life on a college campus. Lots of laughs. The story goes well and is fun to watch. The film is well put together for a first time director Justin Zackham. The cast of characters work well together.

Does this movie take itself seriously? Meaning, seriously as a comedy targeted on young audience? While I know the (self imposed) limitations of American campus comedy and know what to expect from such a movie, I must say, that only a few moments were worth a laugh (and I can take even cheesy or perverse jokes).

The point is, that many moments probably were meant to be laughed on, but in the same time they were pretty sad... Sad in a way, that the movie, without its end (that I don't want to reveal for those who might want to watch this movie "seriously" as it is) could be pretty illustrative sociological study of the American youth, or even of the birth of many specific pathological features of the American society.

Bearing all the possible inhumane hazing, torture, ridiculous rituals, laws of the mass, do-what-group-does mentality, declaring machismo and pure male chauvinism as "tradition", or self-destructive alcoholism as "culture" ... for what? "Being part of"? "Helping friend being part of"? The motivation of characters is not very believable - considering the amount of dignity they are willing to sacrifice, with absurd indifference.

With all this said, the movie might be pretty good serious study of the college fraternity mentality system - evoking the despair from any well-known tragedies, invoking lot's of anger in viewer. But in this sense, it lacks something like catharsis. One can see, how genre framing can deform our view of certain situations. We try to laugh on what is really a matter of anger and sadness.

Thus, one has a feeling, that all this inhumanity is just fun, part of wonderful students life, something to be consumed and laughed on ... and forgotten. As this movie should be.

Let's get this straight up front: "Going Greek" does not deviate from the college-sex-party genre first established by "Animal House." Nor does it rise about fare like "Old School" or "American Pie." However, without the benefit of marquee names, "Going Greek" unearths a gem that is seldom found in most of the dredge released these days by National Lampoon: comedy. "Going Greek" is genuinely funny, with a fantastic no-name cast and terrific story to boot. If anything, the film is more akin to "PCU," another cult college film made way before Jeremy Piven joined an "Entourage" and John Favreau launched "Zathura."

And who knows? Maybe wider audiences will someday know the names Dylan Bruno and Dublin James.

Check it out.