Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Runtime: 125 long-shot-from-a-tequila-bag minutes
I knew nothing about Long Shot heading into it, other than it starred Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. When the film opened at a Nazi rally, I questioned whether I was in the right cinema, until Seth Rogen’s reassuring face affirmed that I can read a sign that says “15”, which was the cinema I was told to attend. Being unprepared for Long Shot helped me appreciate what turns out to be a very pleasant and charming romantic comedy that props itself up with slight political and social commentary.
Fred Flarsky is the Rogen character, uneasily attending the Nazi rally when we meet him. He’s a journalist “clouded” by his ideals. He’ll go where no man wants to go in order to get the scoop, and that includes the pavement from a second story window when his cover his blown. His newspaper is taken over by media mogul, Parker Wembley (Andy Serkis, well disguised and slipping past my senses as he so often does). This Murdoch analogue doesn’t sit well with Flarsky, who believes the ludicrous fiction that journalism should have ethics. At the same time, Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) has decided to replace the narcissistic and clueless United States President (Bob Odenkirk), making a run for Head of State when Odenkirk decides he would rather appear in the movies.
Flarsky and Field’s paths cross. Their paths have crossed before. Before they became very different things as adults, their potential as children inspired each other. One has grabbed life by the balls, and the other drinks tequila out of a zip-lock bag. At first I asked myself “Why?”, but then I realised that a man in Fred Flarsky’s position might be inclined to store communal party tequila for later. Like pocketing sugar sachets from McDonald’s. Not that I do that. Field hears Flarsky standing up to the old pervert mogul and begins to remember what a funny writer he was growing up. She could use someone to boost her “Humor” ranking in the polls.
Both Rogen and Theron are immensely likable in their roles. Rogen has that quality where even if he’s being abrasive, you can’t find it in yourself to kick him out of your party. His character’s idealism and values guide Rogen’s natural delivery, resulting in an extremely endearing male lead. You can believe what a woman like Charlotte Field would see in a man like this, even if he shows up to formal events in a kitsch tracksuit. I think Rogen’s secret is that he is aware, and that comes through in the character, who is very much in control of who he is, and is very much aware of when it’s not going well, or when he doesn’t have that control. Too many male leads in romantic comedies, or comedies in general, are stupid.
Theron is one of the most talented actors working. Since her major arrival in Monster (2003), there’s been no doubt as to her range and ability to truly embody almost anyone. Politicians aren’t often likable if they are believable, but Theron manages to somehow do both. If she ever decided to run for office, authentically, I’m sure she’s got a better chance than a lot of lifers. Theron manages to make you believe that Charlotte Field is equal parts ambitious, intelligent, and a true advocate for her beliefs, and when the Field character looks at the Flarsky character, Theron betrays genuine admiration for someone who is not able to navigate ecosystems as well as she is.
There are some solid, hearty laughs in Long Shot. There are some quirky observations and some witty takes on political climates. It’s timely and some of the humour might not age well, but I’m sure it will signpost legitimate criticism of the time. The film should be a curiosity for future generations who look at it and think “Did women really have to struggle like that?” It pleased to me hear awkward silence for some of the intended sexist comments from “typically male” talk show personalities. Not because I feel like the film flopped in delivering those lines, but that people are succeeding in moving past that sort of mentality towards women in politics, and women in general.
It wouldn’t be a Seth Rogen comedy without at least a few jokes about boners, which I felt were a bit forced in there. Some of the more overt jokes land a bit outside the film’s overall very slick tone. There’s also the stereotypical “everyone get along” scene, where the idealistic Flarsky has to confront that conservatism isn’t that bad, and he shouldn’t be so critical of folks trying to, say, intervene in the private health of women. For a film that manages to deliver some rather witty political blows, it’s subjectively a bit frustrating to see it stand back from its sharper messages in order to try and appease the people who will probably only get the boner joke.
Credit for the writing needs to go to the combo of Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah. Sterling has written for The Office, King of the Hill and South Park. Hannah was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on Steven Spielberg’s The Post (2017). Both are writers to watch out for. There is an edginess to Long Shot that most other romantic comedies don’t have, which the film maintains without completely forsaking its maturity and awareness. It’s a tough tightrope to walk, and while the results under a microscope are mixed, it’s far from ineffective or as aimless as it could have been. And the film is paced at such a rate that it seems to glide by, even at 125 minutes, which is quite long for any sort of comedy. They’ve got great control over their material.
Overall, Long Shot manages to succeed in a genre that doesn’t usually interest me too much. It sidesteps a lot of the clichés of the romantic comedy genre in order to flesh out two characters that would be endearing if separate, but are somehow more endearing when they genuinely seem to click and talk about who they are and what they think the other is capable of. Rogen and Theron might have some of the best romantic comedy chemistry I’ve seen (sorry, but Hanks and Ryan never quite did it for me). I can believe that they genuinely like each other beneath the constructs and conveniences of plot. You can tell that Long Shot was made by smart people who would really like a Charlotte Field to drain the swamp, or at least give it a good shot.
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