Long Shot

If I were to describe Seth Rogen’s latest outing Long Shot in a word, that would be fresh. The movie has a fresh romantic pairing of the leads (Charlize Theron & Rogen aren’t exactly a picture perfect couple – a point made repeatedly in the movie), it’s got a refreshing take on American politics and media; and the movie’s brilliant comic timing acts as a fresh breeze in an industry where comedies are too politically correct and not really funny anymore.

Long Shot is somewhat of a movie-length SNL skit in a way, performed brilliantly by its leads and supported effectively by rest of the cast. There were a number of moments where the audience including myself found ourselves clapping and cheering, and given that most of Rogen’s usual work seems repetitive, surprisingly though his comic arsenal that was unleashed was deep and varied making us roll in the aisles.

In a traditional sense, Long Shot is perhaps one of Rogen’s tamest movies, with Theron almost overshadowing Rogen in most scenes. Her role as the beautiful but conflicted US Secretary Of State with the desire to be America’s first female President is well within the present political climate and she manages to maintain a certain sense of elegance while engaging in perilous activities that one would associate with a Rogen movie.

The story is essentially a rom-com set within American politics and while the narrative is pretty straightforward and predictable, it is the sheer volume of jokes and gags that really lifts this movie. From my memory, it’s perhaps the funniest since the first Hangover.

★★★★

Reviewed by Joseph Rana