Long Shot

Synopsis: U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), one of the most influential women in the world, hires Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) a gonzo-style journalist in order to facilitate her run for Presidency. There's a bit of a twist however - she used to be his baby sitter and he has had a crush on her since he was twelve.

The premise of Long Shot is so ridiculously improbable that it shouldn’t work. Fortunately for us, however, it does thanks to a well-turned script by Liza Hannah and Dan Sterling, solid directing by Jonathan Levine and spirited performances from Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron, elements which, with all the other aspects of the production being of a comparable calibre, results in a consistently amusing, at times wackily funny film of admirably good heart.

Despite the fact that his character is much more professionally-elevated than usual. Rogen largely gives us his familiar smart-mouthed, recreational drug-using slacker. If you’re a fan of his act  (and I must admit I am) you won’t be disappointed as whereas usually sharing the screen with a posse of similar dead beats here he pretty much receives all the comedic limelight. Not that he doesn’t have some poignant scenes with Theron which he pulls off (once you've seen you'll get the joke) commendably.

Theron, as we know, is a versatile, never-less-than-committed actor and her turn here is typically strong, one which recalls her performance in the distaff romantic comedy Young Adult (2001). Most remarkably the unlikely pairing of actors seems to have made the unlikely pairing of characters work. We like Fred and Charlotte and we’re happy to traverse their rocky and highly unlikely road to love (June Diane Raphael also deserves mention as Charlotte’s confidante and campaign manager)
 
A significant part of the attraction of Long Shot however is that the film works on two levels. Not only is it about a romantic long shot it is also about a political long shot. Not only is it a romantic comedy, it’s also a political satire, one whose target is Trump’s racist, homophobic, sexist Presidency. The charm of the film is that it runs the two approaches together seamlessly and, its grosser moments notwithstanding, sensitively, never stooping to preach or losing sight of its moral agenda. Much as the humour is of the moment there is an endearingly old-fashioned Capra-esque quality to the film that lifts it well above the run-of-the-mill tilts at your funny bone.  

To paraphrase the song, these days a good comedy is hard to find. Long Shot is as close to a sure thing as I’ve seen for quite a while.

 

 

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