Movie Review: Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron Hit the Spot in "Long Shot"

The best joke in Long Shot is when you realise that the title is actually a reference to a gross, climactic bit of comedy. But the rest of it is still pretty great too.

Long Shot reteams 50/50 and The Night Before director Jonathan Levine with Seth Rogen, who plays Fred Flarsky, an idealistic, irascible journalist impervious to shame (and, weirdly, physical pain).

Fred quits his job at an independent Brooklyn magazine after it’s purchased by corrupt mogul Parker Wembley (an unrecognisable Andy Serkis, as is tradition), and then drowns his sorrows at a benefit with wealthy mate Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.). There, he spots his old babysitter—and long-lingering crush—Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who is now the US Secretary of State, primed for a presidential run. They spy one another from across the room and make eyes as Boyz II Men croon on stage, confirming your biggest fear: you walked right into a rom-com, baby.

As the posters dumbfoundedly exclaim, Charlotte unexpectedly reciprocates Fred’s feelings, bringing him onto her team to punch-up speeches, help develop policy, and, in their private moments, dance with her to the music of Roxette. If this sounds like questionable judgement for a potential leader of the free world, I’ll point you towards our current reality for a more terrifying alternative.

Of course, there’s nothing really to fear about rom-coms, if they’re done well. The thing is, rom-coms are all about characters who seem like polar opposites finding love through compromise. Here, where those characters are trying to fight climate change with an ambitious plan to save the "bees, trees and seas", and the policy is at risk because of their reputation-ruining relationship, compromise is complicated. You want them to get together, sure, but you also don’t want the planet to die. Decisions, decisions...

Miraculously, screenwriters Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah find a way to keep their effortlessly appealing leads in a believable push and pull without savaging their idealism and likeability, keeping things silly enough to remind you that this is just meant to be a bit of goofy, charming fun. As might turn out to be the case with Earth if we don’t get a similar international environmental treaty signed, Long Shot’s here for a good time, not a long time (though at 125 minutes, it’s still a bit of a long time).

June Diane Raphael steals every scene she’s in as Charlotte’s main advisor, Maggie, and her line delivery is unimpeachable. Bob Odenkirk also briefly wades back into comedy to play the TV star turned current president; a fictional boob who is, somehow, more presidential than the one America has now. Even Alexander Skarsgård gets an amusing part as Canada's very toothy hunk-prime minister.

There are a number of big, belly laugh-inspiring set pieces (the highlight: a zooted Charlotte trying to negotiate a hostage scenario in the Situation Room) and some smaller, observant moments that land with emotional resonance. The latter is really Levine’s forte; his efforts with Rogen have always been better when they embrace sincerity.

Long Shot certainly has shades of the pol-rom-coms Dave and The American President. However, those movies were also extremely ‘90s, and didn’t carry the weight of the current political and social climate. This is a genre with a reputation for upholding tired gender dynamics. How does that fit a film about a woman running for president? Not always easily!

If you’re coming to Long Shot for a real-world commentary on women in political office, you may want to take those expectations elsewhere. Romantic comedies all take place in distant, fantastical parallel universes, where everyone gets what they want all the time. I want to believe that modern politics can one day be as romantic and idealistic as depicted here, but I’m also conscious that it would require such an abrupt reversal of convention, the Earth might be thrown off its gravitational axis and get pulled into the sun. Until then, Long Shot is a very nice, very funny film for you to enjoy before the world burns.

4/5

In Australian cinemas 2 May. Rated M for coarse language, sex and drug use.

Header Image: StudioCanal