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Long shot, 2019

#comedy #romance #long shot #jonathan levine #dan sterling #liz hannah #charlize theron #seth rogen

🡒 🎥 ANIMAL CONTROL • Opening Credits, 2023.

«Hey, everyone. We just got a 911 call on a bear. Get this, in a hot tub.»

Long Shot (2019)

Directed by Jonathan Levine

Cinematography by Yves Bélanger

Long Shot (2019)

There are moments where the romance in Long Shot is at odds with its comedy and more than once, it lays its mix-matchedness on thick. Despite this, the chemistry between Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron is so good you happily eat it up.

U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Theron) convinces the current President to endorse her as a potential presidential candidate. When she bumps into kinda-sorta-but-not-really old flame journalist Fred Flarsky (Rogen) at a charity fundraiser, she hires him to help punch up her speeches. As they spend time together, romance blossoms.

There are a couple of moments in Long Shot that I’ll categorize as straight-up bad. The opening scene, in which Flarsky has infiltrated a group of Neo-Nazis is ludicrous. He’s so bad at the undercover stuff and the scene concludes on the wrong tone for this film. It’s got no basis in reality whatsoever, which is directly at odds with pretty much everything that follows. When the two leads are together, everything feels legit. You buy their initial interest, their flirtation and the way they grow close. You never forget Charlize Theron is out of Rogen's league (no offence, you’ve got better chances than I would) but the two play off each other so well you can't wait for their first kiss.

There’s got to be a conflict and it occurs naturally as Field has to compromise on issues she strongly believes in - something Flarsky insists she shouldn’t do because he wouldn’t. They’re from two different worlds and ideologies. There are other obstacles facing them in the form of sexist broadcasters, political commentators or other politicians who either have different priorities than Field does or simply do not take her as seriously as they should because they’re chauvinist pigs but it’s all done in a manner that’s only exaggerated enough for us to laughs between the sparkles in the lovers’ eyes. And then, just as we're in the last stretch… a villain is introduced in the form of an international media mogul (Andy Serkis), who is essentially a white-skinned troll. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Come on, movie. We'd just gotten over the male lead's exaggerated schlubbiness. Why this?

There are many funny moments in Long Shot courtesy of both Seth Rogen (who is essentially playing himself - AGAIN) and Theron on their own and together. A number of side characters like Alexander Skarsgård as the handsome Prime Minister of Canada and Bob Odenkirk as the moronic President of the United States are also good. This is a decent date movie. It’s just that Crazy Rich Asians set such a strong precedence you’re left wanting a little more. Despite a couple of flubs, you and your significant other will laugh and happily cuddle-up during Long Shot. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 7, 2019)