Seth Rogen has been the go-to guy for the past year or two when it comes to comedy films. He broke out big in "Knocked Up", and through his connections with Judd Apatow managed to orchestrate and fast rise, getting two of his own creations ("Pineapple Express" and "Superbad") fast-tracked and turned into immediate hits and modern classics. One of several movies he released this year, "Observe and Report" shows a side of Rogen we have yet to see on a large scale. The film, written and directed by Jody Hill (the man, who along with Danny McBride, brought us the cult classic "The Foot Fist Way") is a dark and no holds barred look at a mentally troubled man who has little grip on reality, a bad support system and delusions of grandeur. A film that easily could have been a trainwreck, Rogen manages to knock one out of the park.
Rogen stars as Ronnie Barnhardt, "head of security" at the local mall. He's a rent-a-cop turned up to 11, enforcing the rules with an iron fist, taking things way too seriously, hurling racist epithets at kiosk workers and threatening to "murder" anyone who crosses him wrong. When a flasher starts terrorizing the mall, and in partiuclar, Brandy (a super sexy Anna Faris), the make-up counter girl and object of Ronnie's lust, Ronnie decides to take things into his own hands, much to the dismay of a police detective (Ray Liotta) and everyone else around him.
Ronnie is the ultimate loser. He lives at home with his alcoholic mother, who he pines for her approval and affection when she could care less. He goes to the shooting range, yet is hesitant at first to actually try to become a police officer when he so desperately tries to emulate one. He is on bi-polar medication, has disturbing dreams and thoughts, and totally misinterprets the way others view him and feel about him. This is played for laughs, and if you have the right sense of humor, it is hilarious. But if you peel back the layers, there is a sadness and disgust to be found about this movie as well.
Aside from a few random sequences, including one in which Ronnie does every drug you could think of over the course of the work day, I think the film works. The writing is solid, the movie moves along at a good pace. I liked the cameo by Danny McBride, who never disappoints, and the restaurant O'Landers in the mall was a nice nod to "The Foot Fist Way". People expecting a typical Apatow-style comedy because Rogen is in the lead will be left scratching their heads. This is a no-holds-barred, abrasive dark comedy that will leave you feeling uncomfortable at times, sorry for Ronnie at others, and in hysterics all the way through. Reccomended if you like movies that stray slightly from the beaten path and offer something a little more rough around the edges than your average run of the mill comedy.
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment