Movie Review: Long Shot

Length: 2Hr 5

Rating: 15

Release: 3rd May 2019

About:

Fred Flarsky is a gifted and free-spirited journalist who has a knack for getting into trouble. Charlotte Field is one of the most influential women in the world — a smart, sophisticated and accomplished politician. When Fred unexpectedly runs into Charlotte, he soon realizes that she was his former baby sitter and childhood crush. When Charlotte decides to make a run for the presidency, she impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter — much to the dismay of her trusted advisers.

The Good

• There was a good story underneath all the shit. In fact, the characters of Frank and Charlotte were really good.

• Charlize Theron was actually really good in this and she reminded me of Michelle Pfeiffer. Had this have transitioned from stoner rom-com to something more mature, Theron would have easily been able to carry it over.

• Ya man from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul does a brilliant job as mash up president of Trump, Brush and the fictional Barlett. When they started to describe POTUS as playing a president in TV, I so thought we were getting the West Wing alumni, Martin Sheen.

• Frank’s concern about helping Charlotte was on the mark and made a very powerful message about politics and media.

The Bad

• There’s something about Seth Rogan’s comedy that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s not a confident or sharp sort of humour which I think this film needs. It often comes across like he’s practicing a routine in his bedroom and knows that he’s shit. Too many of his lines just patter out and are almost lacking punch lines.

• While I laughed at the sex references, I know it’s what will stop me coming back to it for repeated viewings. Its slightly too immature and repetitive; it strips the film of any charm it might have had.

The Ugly

• The drug humour doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t like that some celebrities abuse the health system and degrade mental health issues. I don’t agree with people in positions of trust and power casually using illegal drugs and I certainly don’t find it funny when it’s made light of in films.

• I find it hard to buy Frank’s insistence of Charlotte having/needing a moral code… when he’s got a pocket full of drugs!

Final Thoughts

I don’t feel like I wasted two hours of my life, but I do feel like there was a better film to be made, if only Rogan did as many of the cast told him to throughout the movie and toned it down.

With a little more of what he gave in Zack and Miri or Green Hornet and less of The Interview and The Night Before this would have been a gem of movie.