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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
New King of Comedy, November 5, 2009
Not to say that writer/director Jody Hill is the new Scorscese (he's not), but I was constantly reminded of Scorscese's early 80s disturbo-comedy "King of Comedy" when watching this. Whereas Scorscese uses stark realism, though, Hill uses the conventions and expectations of modern comedy to nail us. This could have easily been another crude and rude comedy along the lines of Superbad or Pineapple Express. Those (hell, most) comedies made today feature borderline-sociopathic, emotionally-retarded, and hopelessly immature males. Hill simply tips his characters over the edge. There is no denying that Ronnie (Seth Rogan) is a full-blown psychopath. What's surprising is how close this character is to every other character Seth Rogan has ever played!
Your reaction to this film will be greatly effected by your expectations. If you expect an extremely dark, yet often silly, film instead of yet another "Superbad" or, god forbid, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", you should not be disappointed in the least.
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19 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolutely stellar black comedy., September 18, 2009
Ronnie is a mall cop with big dreams: he wants to be a cop. Partly to carry a gun, partly so people will finally respect him. When a flasher appears on his turf, it's war--especially when one of the victims is Brandi, the makeup-counter girl whom Ronnie has a crush on. But when a real detective intrudes in the case, Ronnie decides to take matters in his own hands--to win respect, to win the case, and to win the girl.
OBSERVE AND REPORT is perhaps the darkest comedy in ages. Seth Rogen does not play Ronnie as a beloved character, as many a lesser actor would; in Rogen's hands, Ronnie is a borderline-sociopath, a bipolar loser who is as hilariously aloof as he is dangerous. Anna Farris, as Brandi, is a comedic delight as always; she throws her self-esteem to the wind in order to wring the last little laugh from every scene. Michael Pena, as Ronnie's sidekick, is a scene-stealer. However, it's Ray Liotta who walks away with the only character to hold his own against Ronnie; as Detective Harrison, Liotta is tough and unforgiving, and the climax between the two ends the only way it could (though you'll be holding your breath the whole way).
In other words, Jody Hill's OBSERVE AND REPORT is the darkest of dark comedies, often bordering on a (non-supernatural) horror movie; the comparisons it's garnered to TAXI DRIVER are well-founded, and often-times you don't know whether to wince or laugh. Hill doesn't just take things too far; he takes them to limits no one else would dare to. OBSERVE AND REPORT is not a comedy for the squeamish, but it's certainly a film for those of us who don't mind a few chills with our humorous thrills.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
mmmmkay--i KNOW it's an AQUIRED taste-BUT..., January 17, 2010
i absolutely loved it-i thought it was SUPERB. 1st of all-it's genuinely quirky-not just in a "struggling to be the next kevin smith, desperate-for-indie-cred while still appealing to the mainstream" kinda way... but... genuinely different and unique. the film has extreme realism mixed with an appropriate, satirical level of non-cartoonish exaggeration. particularly enjoyable is its killer soundtrack (re: pixies, queen) and an off-beat cast of wonderful supporting actors. i dunno, maybe i am jaundiced b/c i actually WORKED at a mall and SLAVED for the man, but i found everything about this dark gem very heartfelt and true-it is much more honest (and thus funny) than "zack and miri" or "knocked up," but GOD FORBID i should say that. scorsese fans heads up: ray liotta is kick-ass and GORGEOUS as ever (schlub comedy fans take note-SO IS SETH) and the overtones to "taxi driver" are easy to catch. anna farris fans UNITE AND WATCH THIS FILM -she is ON THE MONEY as usual...she may be the reluctant, unheralded lucille ball of our time. the "date rape" scene is hardly so-both parties are inebriated and the sex is, well, presented as what usually happens when you mix alcohol, drugs, loose morals, and misguided intent. it is much less offensive to me than the more plebian, non-boat rocking scenes in most romcom fare, which i feel degrade women much further by presenting them as marriage-obsessed and virginal, practically sexless, "good girl"-type submissive goddesses. saying seth rogan's character date rapes brandi is like saying lenny purposefully murders curley's wife at the end of grapes of wrath. i know this is gonna get a lot of naysaying from the haters but--give this one a shot--i think you'll like it ~liz
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