By Mr. Will Wong
Defying its title, LONG SHOT is a real fan-favourite! Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron deliver the sparks in this uplifting and daring Rom-Com of the now.
Opinionated Writer Fred Flarsky (Rogen) remains true to values, quitting his job at The Advocate after crooked media mogul Parker Wembley (Andy Serkis) buys out the publication. He has a chance meeting with childhood crush and babysitter, Charlotte Field (Theron), who now happens to be United States Secretary of States with a pending endorsement from President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk). She also has a real chance at becoming the first-ever female President. Now jobless, Charlotte hires Fred to be her Speech Writer much to the disapproval of her staffer Maggie (June Diane Raphael) who is unimpressed by his laxness and concerns with the optics of him affecting Charlotte’s image as she is priming for presidency. Charlotte and Fred find themselves having more than their youth in common and begin to fall in love secretly in the unlikeliest of pairings. The pressures of her public image begin to take a toll on their relationship with the odds stacked against the couple, but will love prevail?
The Film gets a balanced approach by talented Screenwriters Dan Sterling (The Interview) and Liz Hannah (The Post) who give us exactly what is at stake for both our drug-loving hero and put-together heroine to keep us deeply-invested all the way. No green leaf is left unturned with punchlines crammed into every moment possible, while the Film never loses Director Jonathan Levine‘s (50/50, Warm Bodies) vision of this being a savoury and sweet love story. The Film makes ridiculous lines work like “No more cumments” in response to an ejaculation scandal and while the circumstances surrounding the story are implausible, it never is a tough-sell for us.
Despite being an odd pairing on paper, Theron and Rogen are outstanding together. Theron humanizes Charlotte with an adventurous spirit and ambition that has the audience falling in love with her. Rogen has us affected by Fred’s uncompromising integrity and pure heart. We are here for this raunchy unconventionality and really want it to work out for them.
The Supporting Cast is full of brilliant turns including an unrecognizable Andy Serkis as the greasy Wembley, June Diane Raphael as the positively-bitchy Maggie, Alexander Skarsgård doing his best Justin Trudeau and O’Shea Jackson Jr. really solidifying his promise after wowing us in 2015’s Straight Outta Compton, playing Fred‘s supportive best friend Lance.
The largely-90s Soundtrack is the perfect companion to the story, resuscitating hits of yesteryear by Boyz II Men (who appear in the Film) and Roxette.
There’s plenty to love about LONG SHOT, in theatres Friday, May 3, 2019 via eOne Films.
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