Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. Together. In a rom-com. Does it sound odd? Yes. Does it work? Absolutely. Under Jonathan Levine’s excellent direction, Long Shot tackles a weird relationship along with some subtle jabs at certain socio-political issues.
Long Shot follows Fred Flarsky (Rogen) as a journalist who’s been recently fired. Charlize Theron plays Charlotte Field, one of the most influential women in the world, who’s planning on running for President the following year. They both have a bit of history, and after a chance encounter, must work together against all odds. Sounds kinda…generic? The plot itself is nothing to write home about, but it’s the performances that sell this charming romance.
Now, let’s get a couple of things out of the way. Seth Rogen is yet again seen playing as, well, one of the Seth Rogen character archetypes. You’re not gonna get anything new from his side, with his character, Fred Flarsky, aside from sounding like a name right out of a comic book, being your usual pot-smoking average Joe. Charlize Theron, on the other hand, does show a genuinely fun & quirky side of her that we haven’t seen recently, especially in the wake of Mad Max.
Aside from being a quirky comedy, Long Shot also manages to provide some smart commentary on the current political state of the US. From consumerism to Brett Ratner, the film pokes fun at a lot of elements it has no business with, but it does provide for some uniqueness in the vast ocean of rom-coms that we get from time to time.
At the end of the day, Long Shot provides that which most of us expect from a film like it- fun. While it’s not the best rom-com that we’ve had in a while, it certainly has enough heart with the help of its cast’s strong performances.
