Long Shot (2019) is the latest Seth Rogen comedy vehicle, starring himself as Fred Flarsky, a political journalist who falls for sitting Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron). It was originally written by Dan Sterling, a sitcom writer best known for Rogen’s earlier film The Interview, and subsequently re-written by Liz Hannah of The Post fame. Is this yet another stoner-slacker comedy destined for the bulk bin, or a legitimate piece of cinema worth our time in its own right?
Gender-swapped reboots (especially comedies) are a bit controversial in today’s day and age. Films like Ocean’s 8 and Ghostbusters attempted to bring fresh life to old classics with mostly-disastrous results. With Long Shot clearly taking inspiration from one of the most successful rom-coms ever, Pretty Woman, there were red flags. But what this film does so brilliantly is in taking an old concept and re-appropriating it for the modern-day. There is purpose behind the gender bend, and the film uses the opportunity to speak volumes about the state of female leadership. Can a woman really be taken seriously in politics? What kind of challenges does a woman like Charlotte have in reaching the top and earning the respect of her peers? With politicans like Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and AOC under such intense media scrutiny right now, it’s quite the timely subject matter.
It’s a risky move for any film to insert politics into the plot like this one does, but it handles the topic rather well. There is an obvious left slant underneath it all, but anyone who’s familiar with Hollywood already knows that so why bother hiding it, eh? Although Fred is a flaming leftist who despises the Republican Party, that’s portrayed as a character flaw as he lacks empathy for opposing viewpoints. This includes his hatred for Charlotte’s willingness to compromise to get things done, which reflects his inability to see her perspective as a woman trying to accomplish anything in a male-dominated world. Sometimes the snark is a bit obvious, as with the farcical portrayal of Fox News (especially the program Fox & Friends), but always in the context of gender biases and the way strong women are portrayed in the media.
Seth Rogen comes from the Judd Apatow school of comedy, the raunchy, improv-heavy brand that became popular in the mid-2000’s and never seemed to leave the comedy genre since. While it’s good for some easy laughs, it unfortunately detracts from the plot at almost every step. Characters swear far more often than normal people do, from Fred (for whom it makes sense as a character) to Charlotte (for whom it really doesn’t). It might have made for an interesting commentary on repression if they had Charlotte gradually swear the more she hangs out around Fred, but of course that doesn’t happen because there is no thematic purpose for the language besides surface-level comedy. In fact, all of the characters talk about the same, making crude references and being crass at all times. Again, maybe it would have been impactful if there was a juxtaposition between Charlotte’s prim-and-proper work life and crude private life, but no such forethought exists.
To be fair though, the film might not have worked as well without such comedic breaks in the main plot. With all the boner jokes and f-bombs removed you have a fairly straightforward romance story that might not sustain its intrigue for two full hours, so I understand its purpose. The plot is fairly predictable and follows a familiar formula, which is unfortunate with such a fresh and socially-relevant concept. The only unpredictable aspects of the film were the one-liners and moments of laughter, and granted, some were legitimately funny. It just disappoints me that these moments of comedy make no effort to be insightful, always going for the obvious, low-brow joke. For a film that has been so praised by critics, it frustratingly fails to transcend the genre’s tired formulas and gimmicks.
The chemistry between leads Rogen and Theron is undeniable. The film’s charm relies on their relationship being believable, and they both do a good job at selling their feelings towards one another. The director seems to have an infatuation with close-ups, which would normally be distracting and overgenerous, but with skilled actors like these two it works because they can use these moments well. Despite my annoyance at Rogen’s tendency to go for the low-hanging fruit, his strong suit is definitely in his raunchy demeanor, contrasting nicely with Theron’s more elegant persona. Theron is more known for her dramatic roles, but she shows real comedic chops here with her ability to jump back and forth between these worlds with ease. (I suspected she had this talent after her brilliant performance in last year’s Tully, one of my favorite films of 2018.)
Conclusion
Ultimately I found this film enjoyable but barely memorable. The premise is fresh and intriguing, but the film’s inability to transcend the tired cliches of the comedy genre prevent it from having true cultural impact. The star power of the two leads are sure to draw eyeballs to the film, but at the expense of the film’s social relevance as it falls into the same pitfalls as every other post-Superbad Apatow-esque film. Still, I liked what it had to say about women in politics and give it some props for its strong social themes that most lighthearted films wouldn’t dare tackle. See it if you like films like this; skip it if you think you’ve seen this film a hundred times before, because you have.
VERDICT: B-
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-Austin Daniel
Scriptophile 