Genre: Dark Comedy
Director: Jody Hill
Starring: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Peña, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe
Running Time: 86 minutes (plus trailers)
Ronny Barnhart (Seth Rogen) is the big fish in a very small pond. As the head of security at the Forest Ridge Mall, he rules the food-court with an iron fist, harassing both shoppers and store owners and complaining bitterly about not being allowed to carry a fire-arm. At the same time, his heart aches for the sultry make-up counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris). When a flasher begins harassing women in the mall parking lot, Ronny sees it as an opportunity to prove to Brandi that he is worthy of her affection.
The first and most important thing you need to know about Observe and Report is that it is not the latest raunchy comedy to star Seth Rogen. Despite what the posters, trailers and the leader actor might lead you to believe, this movie is nothing like Knocked Up or Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Those films successfully mixed R-rated language and humour with sweet sentimentality's. This movie on the other hand is dark, unpleasant and profoundly disturbing. That’s not to say it isn’t funny, but be warned that you will not like it unless you can laugh at really brutal humour. I’m talking graphic and often completely unexpected violence, explicit drug use & sexual content, and a protagonist who is not only intensely unlikeable, but also deeply psychologically disturbed.
To clarify, I did enjoy this film quite a lot. I laughed out loud pretty consistently, although more often than not it was from a sense of shock or revulsion. It is hard to believe how far this movie goes, and many times I caught myself laughing, only to chastise myself for doing so. For example, a scene in which Michael Peña’s character offers to become Ronny’s mentor is followed immediately by a montage of the two men snorting cocaine, beating up teenagers and finally injecting themselves with heroin in a bathroom cubicle. “There’s nothing good about this” Peña’s character groans as he plunges the syringe into his arm. And it’s hard to disagree with him.
But even though I did enjoy the comedy (if such a term can be applied), I thought that Observe and Report was far more successful as a painful examination of a man who is completely unable to fulfil his dreams. My favourite scene in the entire film comes when Ray Liotta's Detective Harrison invites Ronny to the police station only to inform him that he has been ruled out of police service after failing the psychological exam. Ronny is totally unable to comprehend his rejection and insists that he has been accepted. The excellent performance by Rogen clashes with the simple fact that we really don’t want Ronny to succeed, giving the scene an incredible amount of pathos. It also contains a particularly memorable line of dialogue that I know many reviewers have latched onto as a metaphor for the entire film. Upon watching Ronny’s heartbreak, a minor character remarks “I thought this was going to be funny, but it’s actually kind of sad.” Observe and Report has plenty of funny moments, but it’s also layered with tragedy.
Rogen’s performance in this film is nothing short of incredible. The man is often accused of playing himself, the goofy but lovable slacker, in every one of his films. But this role is something completely new, and indeed it’s barely a comedic performance at all. Ronny is racist, homophobic and violent. To call him an idiot is a major simplification; he is mentally ill. The character is oblivious to normal social behaviour, carries enormous delusions of grandeur and throughout the film proves to be a serious danger to himself and others. It’s refreshing to see that Rogen, the biggest name in comedy, is willing to play such an unlikeable character. Many people have called the performance revelatory; I would go so far as to call it Oscar worthy.
Speaking of Oscar worthy, Celia Weston is sensational in a minor role as Ronny’s alcoholic mother. Her line deliveries range from soul-crushing to side-splitting, and her physical characterization is perfect. Of course, neither Rogen nor Weston will get any love from the academy, given the films mediocre reception and taboo content. The rest of the cast does admirably; Michael Peña and the Yuen Twins are very funny, and Anna Faris and Ray Liotta are perfectly cast in their roles as the shallow Brandi and the frustrated Detective. Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride also have terrific cameos.
Furthermore, director (and writer) Jody Hill does a phenomenal job behind the camera, creating one of the best made films of the year. The camera work is excellent, the soundtrack is amazing, and the editing reflects perfecting the uneasy, unpredictable nature of the story and its primary character. Music cues are interrupted, clips are sped up and slowed down, and we often smash cut straight from scenes of inspiration to despair with no warning whatsoever. I especially loved the opening credit sequence, the aforementioned drug montage and the final pursuit that concludes the film. Hill clearly has a promising career ahead of him as a director; I just suspect his writing will never appeal to as big an audience.
Now before I conclude this review, I want to talk about the films ending, which really irritated me. In one of the last scenes in the movie, what appeared to be the stock-standard romantic payoff is very cleverly subverted by the sudden appearance of full frontal male nudity. This is then followed by an equally hilarious slow motion chase scene through the mall, which then concludes extremely suddenly, in a way that you will not see coming. Now I thought the “shock moment” was absolutely brilliant, and on further contemplation, I also realised that it was in fact the inevitable conclusion that the film (and Ronny) had been building towards the entire time.
What I didn’t like was the continuation of the scene. Literally, in the last 90 seconds before the end credits, this film goes one hundred and eighty degrees on itself, and Ronny’s life completely turns around. He gets his job back, earns the respect of the police who ridiculed him, and finally wins the girl. My problem with this is that Observe and Report was for its entire length a brutally dark film, and as such it doesn’t warrant a happy ending - and Ronny certainly doesn't deserve one. His story should have ended with him standing gun in hand over the body of a man he murdered. Because let’s face it; people like Ronny do exist, and their stories often end in exactly that way. By tacking on this very studio-esque ending (and more troublingly, by suggesting that Ronny’s actions have no consequences) Hill has completely undermined the tone and message of the film.
Aside from this complaint, I really liked Observe and Report as the perverted masterpiece that it is. But, many people will hate it. If none of the comedy I have described sounds funny to you, then stay the hell away from Observe and Report, a film you will no doubt loathe. If it sounded hilarious, then you should do everything you can to see it (wow…I really stated the obvious there). If you are undecided, then I recommend it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is very funny. Secondly, it actually works as a drama of sorts. And thirdly, because there is nothing else like it. I suspect it will become a cult hit on DVD, and I plan on buying it as soon as it is released. It is deeply unsettling and sometimes the humour is very cruel. But it is original, and definitely memorable.
Observe and Report will soon be coming to the end of it's theatrical run in Australia. It will be released on DVD both domestically and abroad later in the year.
Starring: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Peña, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe
Running Time: 86 minutes (plus trailers)
Ronny Barnhart (Seth Rogen) is the big fish in a very small pond. As the head of security at the Forest Ridge Mall, he rules the food-court with an iron fist, harassing both shoppers and store owners and complaining bitterly about not being allowed to carry a fire-arm. At the same time, his heart aches for the sultry make-up counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris). When a flasher begins harassing women in the mall parking lot, Ronny sees it as an opportunity to prove to Brandi that he is worthy of her affection.The first and most important thing you need to know about Observe and Report is that it is not the latest raunchy comedy to star Seth Rogen. Despite what the posters, trailers and the leader actor might lead you to believe, this movie is nothing like Knocked Up or Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Those films successfully mixed R-rated language and humour with sweet sentimentality's. This movie on the other hand is dark, unpleasant and profoundly disturbing. That’s not to say it isn’t funny, but be warned that you will not like it unless you can laugh at really brutal humour. I’m talking graphic and often completely unexpected violence, explicit drug use & sexual content, and a protagonist who is not only intensely unlikeable, but also deeply psychologically disturbed.
To clarify, I did enjoy this film quite a lot. I laughed out loud pretty consistently, although more often than not it was from a sense of shock or revulsion. It is hard to believe how far this movie goes, and many times I caught myself laughing, only to chastise myself for doing so. For example, a scene in which Michael Peña’s character offers to become Ronny’s mentor is followed immediately by a montage of the two men snorting cocaine, beating up teenagers and finally injecting themselves with heroin in a bathroom cubicle. “There’s nothing good about this” Peña’s character groans as he plunges the syringe into his arm. And it’s hard to disagree with him.
But even though I did enjoy the comedy (if such a term can be applied), I thought that Observe and Report was far more successful as a painful examination of a man who is completely unable to fulfil his dreams. My favourite scene in the entire film comes when Ray Liotta's Detective Harrison invites Ronny to the police station only to inform him that he has been ruled out of police service after failing the psychological exam. Ronny is totally unable to comprehend his rejection and insists that he has been accepted. The excellent performance by Rogen clashes with the simple fact that we really don’t want Ronny to succeed, giving the scene an incredible amount of pathos. It also contains a particularly memorable line of dialogue that I know many reviewers have latched onto as a metaphor for the entire film. Upon watching Ronny’s heartbreak, a minor character remarks “I thought this was going to be funny, but it’s actually kind of sad.” Observe and Report has plenty of funny moments, but it’s also layered with tragedy.Rogen’s performance in this film is nothing short of incredible. The man is often accused of playing himself, the goofy but lovable slacker, in every one of his films. But this role is something completely new, and indeed it’s barely a comedic performance at all. Ronny is racist, homophobic and violent. To call him an idiot is a major simplification; he is mentally ill. The character is oblivious to normal social behaviour, carries enormous delusions of grandeur and throughout the film proves to be a serious danger to himself and others. It’s refreshing to see that Rogen, the biggest name in comedy, is willing to play such an unlikeable character. Many people have called the performance revelatory; I would go so far as to call it Oscar worthy.
Speaking of Oscar worthy, Celia Weston is sensational in a minor role as Ronny’s alcoholic mother. Her line deliveries range from soul-crushing to side-splitting, and her physical characterization is perfect. Of course, neither Rogen nor Weston will get any love from the academy, given the films mediocre reception and taboo content. The rest of the cast does admirably; Michael Peña and the Yuen Twins are very funny, and Anna Faris and Ray Liotta are perfectly cast in their roles as the shallow Brandi and the frustrated Detective. Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride also have terrific cameos.Furthermore, director (and writer) Jody Hill does a phenomenal job behind the camera, creating one of the best made films of the year. The camera work is excellent, the soundtrack is amazing, and the editing reflects perfecting the uneasy, unpredictable nature of the story and its primary character. Music cues are interrupted, clips are sped up and slowed down, and we often smash cut straight from scenes of inspiration to despair with no warning whatsoever. I especially loved the opening credit sequence, the aforementioned drug montage and the final pursuit that concludes the film. Hill clearly has a promising career ahead of him as a director; I just suspect his writing will never appeal to as big an audience.
Now before I conclude this review, I want to talk about the films ending, which really irritated me. In one of the last scenes in the movie, what appeared to be the stock-standard romantic payoff is very cleverly subverted by the sudden appearance of full frontal male nudity. This is then followed by an equally hilarious slow motion chase scene through the mall, which then concludes extremely suddenly, in a way that you will not see coming. Now I thought the “shock moment” was absolutely brilliant, and on further contemplation, I also realised that it was in fact the inevitable conclusion that the film (and Ronny) had been building towards the entire time.What I didn’t like was the continuation of the scene. Literally, in the last 90 seconds before the end credits, this film goes one hundred and eighty degrees on itself, and Ronny’s life completely turns around. He gets his job back, earns the respect of the police who ridiculed him, and finally wins the girl. My problem with this is that Observe and Report was for its entire length a brutally dark film, and as such it doesn’t warrant a happy ending - and Ronny certainly doesn't deserve one. His story should have ended with him standing gun in hand over the body of a man he murdered. Because let’s face it; people like Ronny do exist, and their stories often end in exactly that way. By tacking on this very studio-esque ending (and more troublingly, by suggesting that Ronny’s actions have no consequences) Hill has completely undermined the tone and message of the film.
Aside from this complaint, I really liked Observe and Report as the perverted masterpiece that it is. But, many people will hate it. If none of the comedy I have described sounds funny to you, then stay the hell away from Observe and Report, a film you will no doubt loathe. If it sounded hilarious, then you should do everything you can to see it (wow…I really stated the obvious there). If you are undecided, then I recommend it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is very funny. Secondly, it actually works as a drama of sorts. And thirdly, because there is nothing else like it. I suspect it will become a cult hit on DVD, and I plan on buying it as soon as it is released. It is deeply unsettling and sometimes the humour is very cruel. But it is original, and definitely memorable.Observe and Report will soon be coming to the end of it's theatrical run in Australia. It will be released on DVD both domestically and abroad later in the year.
