Long Shot is 2019’s first comedy hit. Not only is it a hit in 2019, but it’ll go down as one of the best comedies of the 2000s. Overall, it is a pleasant surprise that’ll make you cry from laughing in one scene, and then be surprisingly touching in another. Who knew that Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron would be this good together? There’s so much to like about this one, let’s take a look below at what all worked.
When Fred Flarsky reunites with his first crush, one of the most influential women in the world, Charlotte Field, he charms her. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter and sparks fly.
The best word to describe Long Shot is surprising. Not only is it a pleasant surprise in terms of an enjoyable movie going experience, but also the chemistry between Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron simply WORKS. Seeing the trailer, it was easy to assume that this movie could have been a miss because of how unlikely it is, even in a fictional sense, that these two would get together. Rogan portrays Fred Flarsky, a recently fired journalists who is very vulgar and righteous. Underneath that, he is actually a brilliant writer, and that catches Secretary of State Charlotte Field’s (Theron) eye after an unlikely encounter at a prestigious party. Turns out, Charlotte used to babysit Fred when he was in middle school and when she sees him, it reminds her. She offers him a job writing her speeches as she travels the world proposing an environmental initiative. As one can imagine, bringing Fred and his goofy self around some of the most powerful people in the world could make for some problems. Hilarious problems, really.
The comedy in Long Shot is absolutely brilliant. Seth Rogan continues to prove that he is one of the funniest actors working in Hollywood. Charlize Theron is very funny as well once she takes off her powerful mask and opens up to Rogan’s character. Charlotte arguably has the funniest scene in the entire movie. I won’t spoil it, but you’ll know when you see it. In addition to both of them, O’ Shea Jackson is very funny. His role as Lance, Fred’s friend in Brooklyn, has some amazing comedic timing in this one.
The chemistry between Fred and Charlotte is truly what makes Long Shot work. Without it, this movie fails miserably. Each scene shared between them elevates the movie more and more. It’s very unlikely that it works both in the movie and in real life between Rogan and Theron, but thankfully the actors nail it. Early in the movie, Charlotte is obviously extremely powerful, next in the line to run for president, and strictly business. When Fred comes around and gets closer to her, it’s very satisfying to see her open up about some things and talk about old times when they were in school together. Its pretty obvious that Fred has been in love with Charlotte for some time, so as she opens up, the direction from Jonathan Levine is superb when it comes to making the audience truly root for Fred and her to get together.
Speaking of the directing, Levine knocks this one out of the park. You can tell that he’s having fun on set with the talent and it shows with how effortlessly the pacing is throughout. Combining that with the well written screenplay, Long Shot is a lot of fun. It balances being fun and being pretty touching at times. I haven’t rooted for two characters this much in a long time. It just feels fresh and familiar at the same time, which isn’t an easy feat to accomplish.
Simply put, Long Shot is one of the best movies of the year. Some would say it overstays its welcome clocking in at 2 hours and 5 minutes, but honestly the length feels appropriate. The pacing and performances all around help it feel consistent fun. It may be early in the year, but Long Shot could easily be a top 10 movie by the end of December. It is recommended that everyone see this in theaters multiple times, mainly because it’s so re-watchable.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]