REVIEW: Long Shot

Courtesy of Lionsgate

I don’t know what I was expecting from Long Shot, the new romcom starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, but I certainly didn’t anticipate being charmed by a throwback to the delightful screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. Granted, It Happened One Night and Bringing Up Baby didn’t have f-bombs, sex, or jokes about drugs and bodily fluids. But the film still captures those movies’ farcical antics, fast-paced dialogue and sentimental core.

Rogen plays Fred Flarsky, an investigative journalist whose unwillingness to compromise his principles means he’s frequently in physical danger or unemployed. Theron is Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State who is covertly planning a presidential run. The two have absolutely nothing in common – she’s beautiful and excels at everything, he’s schlubby and has a talent for getting in his own way – but they do have a surprising connection: she was his babysitter when they were kids.

When they bump into each other at a social event, nostalgia kicks in and Charlotte impulsively decides – against the fervent protests of her advisors (the hilariously deadpan June Diane Raphael and Ravi Patel) – to hire Fred as her speechwriter. To his credit, he understands that he’s in over his head and learns to adapt. However, this new work relationship quickly leads to a romantic one that jeopardizes everything Charlotte has been working toward.

Long Shot succeeds where it counts most – it’s really funny and charming – thanks to a smart screenplay from Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah, as well as director Jonathan Levine’s choice to focus on Fred and Charlotte as people instead of joke delivery systems. This isn’t one of those movies where all the characters sound like the same screenwriter or somebody delivers a one-liner than doesn’t match their personality.

The film also miraculously avoids the countless tropes and clichés typically found (and mocked) in the genre. Of course, it helps when you’ve got high-caliber actors like Theron and Rogen at the heart of your love story. I’m sure plenty of reviews are making the same hacky jokes about their compatibility and physical appearance (“I thought this was a romantic comedy, not science fiction!”), but the film makes a strong case for their chemistry and why the two characters would fall for one another.

Yes, Charlotte is a knockout, but that doesn’t mean she’s a perfect, unattainable goddess. Conversely, Fred isn’t another spin on the stoner deadbeat Rogen played in Knocked Up. He’s a great writer, he’s passionate about issues and he’s a romantic at heart. I gotta say, he cleans up nice too: there’s a reverse-Pretty Woman sequence about halfway through the film that made a few people in my screening gasp.

In addition, Long Shot has some decent political humor. While that brand of comedy isn’t at the forefront, Charlotte’s career requires it. However, the film is never preachy about it and manages to skillfully tie the politics of government to the politics of romance and relationships, making some interesting arguments in the process.

The film’s coarse language and raunchy humor will make it a non-starter for some viewers. But for everyone else, Long Shot is a funny, sweet and refreshingly modern take on a classic genre. It’s terrific summer counterprogramming and perfect for date night.

Long Shot is rated R for strong sexual content, language throughout and some drug use.

Grade: B+