'Observe and Report' review

Seth Rogen’s dark comedy is a danger to itself and others, and that’s a good thing

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted April 9, 2009

Metromix

Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) loves his job as head of security at the Forest Ridge Mall. He’s serious about his duty to keep the mall, and its employees and patrons, safe and secure. But Ronnie also suffers from “just a little bipolar disorder”—even his alcoholic mom (Celia Weston, perfect) admits he was a little scary as a child. When a flasher starts stalking Forest Ridge, Ronnie makes it his mission to take the pervert down and protect a pretty cosmetics counter girl (Anna Faris, channeling Britney Spears minus the fame) in the process. That puts him at odds with a real policeman (Ray Liotta, at his angry best) working the case, whose taunting forces Ronnie to confront some painful realities.

The buzz: Filmmaker Jody Hill made good on the offbeat promise of his low budget indie “The Foot Fist Way” with the edgy-even-for-HBO series “Eastbound and Down.” Now he’s joined forces with Rogen to bring a unique comic sensibility even closer to the mainstream. It’s not clear who convinced a major studio like Warner Bros. to put up the money for a movie as twisted as “Observe and Report,” but even if the film misses its box office mark, it’s ready made for a devoted cult following. There hasn’t been a worthwhile mainstream comedy as dark since “Bad Santa,” and you’d probably have to go all the way back to Martin Scorsese's “The King of Comedy” to find a dark comedy made with a higher level of controlled artistry.

The verdict: Hollywood comedies are usually designed for maximum comfort. Even when the boundaries of good taste are pushed, you can rest easy that by the end everyone on screen will share happy hugs of romance or bromance, lessons duly learned. “Observe and Report” takes one look at those rules and gives them the finger. It’s a film made with the naughty rush of kids getting away with something crazy behind their parents’ backs. The extremes of Hill’s demented vision will leave plenty of viewers shocked and appalled (at least Rogen prepared his fanbase somewhat with last year’s violent comedy “Pineapple Express”)—but “Observe and Report” would be a failure if it didn’t cause some level of outrage. And the film wouldn’t be a creative success if its only goal was to shock for shock’s sake. Just like Ronnie, “Observe and Report” causes unexpected destruction in the most sterile of environments. The key difference: unlike Ronnie, Hill knows exactly what he’s doing.

Did you know? After you’ve seen the movie you might be curious to find out how Hill convinced someone to play the pivotal role of the flasher. Turns out he volunteered his college buddy and “Foot Fist” production designer Randy Gambill—which may or may not be a sign of how good their friendship is.

Get a different opinion on 'Observe and Report' in the Fast Paised video review