Rated: M
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Screenplay by: Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah
Story by: Dan Sterling
Produced by: Charlize Theron, p.g.a., A.J. Dix, p.g.a., Beth Kono, p.g.a., Evan Goldberg, p.g.a., Seth Rogen, p.g.a., James Weaver, p.g.a.
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, with Bob Odenkirk, and Alexander Skarsgård.
Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) has been in love with Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) since he was twelve years old.
Before she was Secretary of State, Charlotte was Fred Flarsky’s baby sitter.
They’ve both grown up since Charlotte wanted to save the planet and become School President; now, she’s campaigning to save the planet and become President of the United States.
Fred, with his gonzo journalistic style has just lost his job. He needs cheering up. Best friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) knows what he needs: a classy cocktail party featuring Boys To Men as the entertainment.
Suited-up in teal windbreaker (that he seems to have an attachment to) and tapered cargo pants, Fred happens to meet up with his crush, the now beautiful and powerful Charlotte.
She remembers him. She likes his writing. She decides (against the opinion of her Chief of Staff, Maggi (June Diane Raphael)) to hire Fred as her speech writer.
Long Shot is a rom-com so of course it’s the unlikely couple who fall for each other – the difference in this rom-com, the odd-couple fall for each other while on the campaign trail.
There’s this mix of Charlotte living the high life as a politician and the comedy of Seth Rogan as Fred, the goofy but still witty guy able to write a good speech while reminding Charlotte of her young self: the idealist.
‘I am not nuking a tsunami,’ she states.
Most of the time, the film’s a silly bit of fluff.
There’s some classic comedy with Fred wearing an outfit that looks like, ‘Captain Crunch’s Grindr date.’ But then the film gets romantic, the shift from comedy to romance obvious when the soundtrack starts with, ‘One way. Or another. I’m gonna git ya, git, ya, git, ya…’
It didn’t quite gel right for me.
Charlize Theron as Charlotte is gorgeous in this film – her allure, as always, cool and controlled.
Sure, Fred breaks down this barrier as part of the romance, getting the Secretary of State to chill out, get wasted and fall in love.
And we get an appearance from Alexander Skarsgård (I’m really becoming a fan of this guy) showing his comic genius as the Canadian Prime Minister.
But the mix of romance and politics wasn’t always a success.