Looking for a mainstream comedy? Go someplace else.
Writer/Director: Jody Hill
Notable Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Farris, Michael Pena, Ray Liotta
To watch Observe and Report is to test one’s own sense of humor. It’s a manic comedy – dark, violent and gross. Audiences shouldn’t be expecting sloppy seconds of Paul Blart, because mall cop Ronnie Barnhardt is no Paul Blart. And any comparisons to the surprise box-office hit will be squashed within the first three minutes.
Seth Rogen plays Barnhardt, who is the head of security for the Forest Ridge Mall. He may look and act like a dim-wit, but his intensity is close to that of R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. His seriousness for the job knows no limits. To his fellow guards he walks on the wild side, stressing how one’s livelihood could be jeopardized on the job. We’re talking death here. But even with his hard-ass exterior, Barnhardt is a sad sack. On duty he’s the man. Off duty he’s only the lonely, to quote the famous song. He lives at home with his alcoholic mother (Celia Weston), his friends are the at-work variety and he has a bipolar disorder. The makeup-counter girl, Brandi (Anna Farris), is the object of his affection. She’s obnoxious but all Ronnie sees is a bubble-gum blonde who likes to tease her cleavage and pout her mouth to get the lip gloss just right. Unfortunately for Ronnie, he’s totally oblivious to the interest shown by a food-court barista (Collete Wolfe).
Ronnie is a man on the edge. He is troubled by the actions of a serial flasher plaguing the mall, which is bad. Bad becomes worse when said flasher decides to expose his family jewels to Brandi – a sin in which the only punishment is death. Ronnie is ready to lead the investigation, only he’s one-upped by a city detective (Ray Liotta), who shows up and takes charge. But this is Ronnie’s defining moment. “Right now, the world needs a f—ing hero,” he declares in narration. He wants to prove to Brandi and to the police academy that rejected his application that he can catch this pervert and be the man.
A comedy like this could only have come from the mind of Jody Hill. The humor is broad, with tons of self-loathing and self-humiliation for Rogen. If there’s uneasiness to be had, it’s laughing at situations we shouldn’t be laughing at. (I still feel icky just thinking about the lip lock Seth puts on Anna after she pukes in the yard.) You’ll laugh at its stupidity, wince at the shocking revelation and feel compelled to take up vigilantism. On second thought, better stick with the first two.
Rogen is an actor some say is overexposed because of his friendship with Judd Apatow and appearing in many of his productions. His performance as Ronnie Barnhardt is Rogen at his very best. It’s so far removed from anything he’s played before. Hill doesn’t disguise the fact that Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver influenced the character of Ronnie Barnhardt. So with Travis Bickle in a mall setting, vulgarity to the max and no political correctness, Observe and Report is not your ordinary mainstream studio comedy. It’s as far from mainstream as it comes. No other comedy in 2009 will come close, except for Bruno. It has the gross-out gags that we’ve come to expect of R-rated comedies, but when you see what happens to Ronnie in a rough neighborhood you see Hill at his best.
If Rogen’s calling card is stoner comedies, Anna Farris will forever be the go to gal when a script calls for a bimbo – sad but true. Her portrayal of Brandi isn’t syrupy; she won’t warm your hearts. She is an outright bitch. But the best highlight for the supporting cast has to be Michael Pena (Crash) as Dennis, Ronnie’s right-hand man. He speaks with a lisp, wears dark glasses and his hair looks like it’s been sprayed with Soul Glo. That right there should illicit laughter. And Hill would be remised if he didn’t include his buddy from North Carolina, Danny McBride, somewhere in the movie. McBride is credited as the Caucasian Crackhead. Well, that’ll look good on the filmography.
Observe and Report is a comedy that will divide audiences and critics, and it will divide critics and critics. It all depends on your sense of humor. When Jody Hill is at the helm the quote to remember is, Oh he didn’t just do what I think he did. Did he?
FINAL RATING (ON A SCALE OF 1-5 BUCKETS):
