I love black comedies. One of my favorite comedies ever is Heathers, a film blacker than Whoopi Goldberg’s asshole. They say comedy is hard, but black comedies are even more difficult. Their success relies intimately on a carefully maintained tone.
Tone is the big problem with the new Seth Rogen “comedy” OBSERVE AND REPORT. In it, Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a pudgy and lonely mall security guard who dreams of becoming a real police officer. When the pretty makeup counter girl (Anna Faris) is attacked by a serial flasher, Ronnie attempts to solve the problem, much to the dismay of police detective Harrison (Ray Liotta).
Ronnie might be one of the most unpleasant lead characters I have ever seen in a big budgeted feature film. He’s racist, sexist, psychotic, and violent. Many reviews have compared him to Travis Bickle, Robert DeNiro’s breakout character from TAXI DRIVER, but that comparison doesn’t quite work here. TAXI DRIVER operated as a realistic and dramatic character study, while OBSERVE AND REPORT is playing like a comedy that appears to have little relation to the real world.
An example of this problem comes early in the film. The distressed makeup girl is brought into the security office to discuss the flashing incident. In the room is Ronnie and Detective Harrison. Harrison is trying to comfort the girl and get information from her, and Ronnie constantly – and unrealistically – interrupts Harrison’s questioning and mumbles to himself throughout. This kind of behavior would last three seconds in a real world setting. The net result of this scene is that the audience feels sympathy for the detective, and revulsion for the protagonist. I can’t tell you how poisonous that is for a film’s chances of success.
Rogen does what he can with this role. He has a lot of onscreen charm, and he lights up the few lighter, more comedic moments in Ronnie’s character. But most of what’s written for Rogen in writer/director Jody Hill’s script is beyond ludicrous, skewed too far into unpleasantness to ever win over an audience. The character is self-deluded to the extreme and violent without any apparent repercussions. One baffling scene involves Rogen and his second in command Dennis (Michael Pena) beating the shit out of skateboarders on the parking lot, but moments later Ronnie turns down the chance to steal something. Is this supposed to be a joke? If so, it’s not particularly funny. Even less funny is Ronnie’s rape of a drunken, puke-covered Faris. Again, I ask – is this supposed to be funny? Or is it some sort of serious message? I have no idea … I just found it to be ugly for the sake of ugliness.
The cast is also very talented, yet wasted here. Anna Faris does another one of her ditzy blonde routines, but it works. Pena has several memorable moments before his character arc takes a bizarre left turn and then disappears. The best performance on display here is Celia Weston as Ronnie’s drunken, slutty mother. Her every nuance is worth savoring, but unfortunately her wonderful performance in this movie is like a beautiful flower growing in a pile of hog shit.
I commend Hill for attempting to make a film this nasty and vicious. But even the darkest comedies and dramas need a character with whom audiences can relate. Veronica in HEATHERS was a shallow bitch, but we could relate to her plight and cheered her final decision to be something else. Here, the finale of the film wants us to celebrate Ronnie and his personal victory, but the character is so exhausting and unpleasant that we end up mocking him instead. We have nothing in this film to like, unless you like slow-motion shots of fat white guys streaking.
I don’t. This film is truly a mess.
8 Comments
1) RONNIE DID NOT RAPE HER. Faris’ character gave herself the drugs and when Ronnie realized she was passed out he stopped to see if she was ok – and what happened then? SHE TOLD HIM TO KEEP GOING. This was not “rape.” This was not “date rape.” Faris’ character has zero self respect and doesn’t care what happens to her body when she goes out. Her routine is to get drunk, fuck all night, go to work in the morning. She’s a slut.
2) You are SUPPOSED to dislike Ronnie’s character. This isn’t “poisonous” to the film, it’s essential. You’re supposed to dislike Travis Bickle, too. If you don’t dislike these guys then there’s something wrong with you.
@ Bryan – Well, I don’t know how your Momma raised you, but where I come from you don’t continue to have sex with someone who is clearly out of their head and their judgement is off. I thought the scene was disgusting and off-putting, and it was, in my mind, a rape.
But let’s compare apples to apples. I loved the movie KIDS, which contains a very upsetting rape scene near the end of the film. The difference between that film and this one is that KIDS was meant to be a “state of the current generation” statement – written BY that generation. It was almost documentary-like in its look at that generation of young people and their outlook on life.
This film is not trying to do that at all. In fact, it couldn’t be any more removed from reality unless a Balrog started marching through the fucking mall. All of these characters are unlikeable for the sake of being unlikeable. What exactly is the point of making this film? To disgust people?? Every film needs to have some sort of redeeming value to make it worth sitting through …. what was this film’s point? It’s not particularly funny, it doesn’t work as a thriller, a mystery, or an adventure film …. the characters are repulsive, so you can’t even enjoy their company. YOU TELL ME what entertainment value this film possibly contains.
“One of my favorite comedies ever is Heathers, a film blacker than Whoopi Goldberg’s asshole.”
dude, wtf?
@ joifdjg – Right! “Over the line.”
@ Ray’s @ Bryan – Right! That’s rape dude.
Ya gotta admit, that’s pretty damn black.
I’m with the first comment, I don’t think it’s rape. If Ronnie were completely sober and has used her intoxicated state against her on purpose I would agree that it’s a form of date rape. What he did was go with what he’s always seen (via his mom: women get drunk and do stupid shit) and accept it as being ‘the norm.’ He doesn’t have a very strong grasp on what the real world is supposed to be like. Plus, like I said, he was drinking, too so it’s not like he planned it like that.
““One of my favorite comedies ever is Heathers, a film blacker than Whoopi Goldberg’s asshole.”
dude, wtf?”
Hahaha… WTF dude, what were you thinking when you wrote that?
This movie looks fucking retarded anyway, don’t tell me that you paid to go see this.
@ shatteredh – No I didn’t pay to see it.