Long Shot

Verdict: ★★★★

Long Shot tells the story of a talented but dogmatic and uncompromising journalist, Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan), reconnecting with his childhood babysitter and crush Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron). Charlotte Field is a fiercely ambitious and successful Secretary of State; however, she finds little time for much else. Sparks fly when Fred is hired by Charlotte as a speech writer to help launch her presidential campaign and promote her image amidst the climate of gender-prejudice and populist politics.

From the trailers and marketing, it would be easy to discard this film as another forgettable Rom-Com or crude Seth Rogan feature. And although the movie does feature both Seth Rogan and moments of crudeness, it stands out from peers in its genre due to well-written and -performed characters, an oddly charming chemistry between the leading pair and a steady flow of laughs.

It would be an easy mistake to play a character like Charlotte Field as so uptight that she becomes devoid of personality and a drain on the fun going on around her. However, Charlize Theron puts in a performance that stays true to the nature of Mrs. Field without betraying her humour and humanity. Seth Rogan does his usual assured Seth Rogan performance and despite the odds (as the title would suggest), sparks do fly between the two. This chemistry means that the pair are likeable and worth rooting for. Although this may appear to be a basic requirement of any Rom-Com, there are far too many films in this genre that fail at this fundamental hurdle.

Long Shot excels in other areas so many other Rom-Coms falter. The side-kick to our protagonist, an often under-written and –performed character, is a charming and well-rounded source of laughs played by O’Shea Jackson Jnr. Moreover, the inevitable conflict does not feel forced or under-developed. The film’s aforementioned cruder moments on the whole didn’t feel gratuitous and was generally received with more laughter than cringe.

Long Shot layers itself with a strong thread of political satire. The feature is deliberately ham-fisted in its commentary on- and parallels to- our reality, and is complimented by the fact that it is willing to make fun of its own left-wing viewpoint.

The movie isn’t always averse to falling victim to some of its genre’s tropes, and this may prevent it from being truly great. However, Long Shot is definitely a charming and funny surprise package that shouldn’t be missed.

By Hugo