Notable Cast: Seth Rogan, Anna Faris, Michael Pena, Ray Liotta
Perhaps I just love dark comedy. Perhaps I just love offensiveness. Perhaps I just love movies that don't cop out to the mainstream bullshit humor that is going to sell a few tickets. But "Observe And Report" is the best comedy I've seen in a long time. And that says something since I just recently saw "The Hangover". This film is not 'haha funny guy in an odd situation' kind of flick. This is not going to appeal to the majority of movie goers. That's what makes this film worth seeing.
This film is one of those movies that is at its funniest when it doesn't try at all. None of the characters (sans perhaps Ronnie's Hispanic co-mall cop) are all that intentionally funny. Most of them are just over exaggerations of real people that you know or meet everyday. As a mall worker myself, there are far too many of these people that actually exist and its nice to see that a film is willing to show the dark and light sides of various people. Ronnie is not a likable character and that in itself is somewhat of an enduring quality and neither are most of the individuals in this film. This is a dark carnival ride into what some are going to find as offensive. I love it!
Ironically, my favorite aspect of this film isn't Rogan's performance (which was a wonderful change of pace for him) or the scatter-shot script but the editing. Most of the film's humor comes from the sometimes odd and unpredictable editing that will shift randomly. Combine that with an odd moving script that moves in odd directions and some great performances and you will find a movie that is so unlike the majority of comedies out there it makes one a little bit sick.
I honestly could go on and on about all the scenes I loved in this movie but I can sum it up like this: the whole film is worth it. Although I have to give props to the last 5 or 10 minutes for making me laugh so hard I had to pause the film. For fans of offbeat humor this is a must see. If you have the balls to try a comedy that doesn't cater to simplicity then you have to see "Observe And Report".
Written By Matt Reifschneider
4.7/5 EXCELLENT PLUS
ReplyDeleteGeneral audience didn't get that this was a deceptively "funny", VERY black comedy and that Seth Rogen's character was not just a goofy nut or a mere "psycho" but a dangerously disturbed and violent person. Not just a top film for Rogen (who's unforgettable in a role only he could play) but an important film in a progressively sophistocated development in current movie comedy.