Long Shot

Seth Rogen was once a guy the term ‘schlubby’ seemed made for. In his guise as R-rated Homer Simpson, he monitised oafishness into a lucrative career. Alongside friends Judd Apatow and James Franco, Rogen co-wrote comedies that spoke to teenagers and perennial teenagers alike; journeys that ended in sexual maturing. The journey from boy to man typified most of his tales. Women rarely got a look in.


Charlize Theron has never been a woman the term ‘schlubby’ seemed made for. A former model and ballet dancer, she is elegance personified. Her route to Hollywood royalty came ironically in a role that rejected beauty for brutality. Adding thirty pounds, she transformed herself into Aileen Wuornos, a true-life serial killer that killed six men. Typically, her roles are dramatic and powerful.


The pairing of Rogen and Theron seems chalk and cheese. She is the darling of the critics, he the enfant terrible. This though is a reductive look at their CV’s. Rogen is more than a feckless sloth, and Theron doesn’t do ‘dress-down Oscar Friday’ all of the time – both are more nuanced than that. Indeed, Seth Rogen earned critical acclaim for his acting in Jobs, and in producing The Disaster Artist. Theron has shown her comedic chops in Diablo Cody penned pictures, Young Adult and Tully. By appearance they're beauty and beast; by IMDB they're from similar worlds.

Chalk and cheese?

Long Shot is a film that surprised a lot of critics last year. Many were shocked to discover a grown-up romantic-comedy that was politically incisive and puerilely funny. It was on while we were away, so I made a mental note to catch it when it came to Netflix; fortunately it dropped last week, giving us the opportunity to do so.


The premise of the film is that Charlotte (Theron) has designs on office. She wants to be the first female POTUS. To reach The White House though she’s going to have to smash through the glass ceiling and doors of perception. Her approval rating is good, yet she has a relatability issue. It isn’t enough that she’s bright, capable and hardworking: people want someone who can make ‘em laugh too. The guy they elected before, President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk), had media connections and a background in TV – that was enough; yet with Charlotte, she has to be bright, capable, hardworking, funny and accessible – without seeming too perfect.


Across states Fred is a humorous journalist working for an independent paper. At the start of the movie we join him undercover at a white supremacist meeting. Amongst all the fire and brimstone call and response, Fred replies with a lackluster, ‘Yeah, let’s do that’ and ‘White power obviously.’ He is principled and committed, willing to risk a Nazi tattoo to expose the hate. So when a media conglomerate owned by Parker Wembley (Andy Serkis) buy out his work, Fred walks. He will not work for those whom put vested interest over free media. The scenes with Wembley News are clearly a dig at Fox with smug newsreaders re-branding sexism as banter.

Andy Serkis is almost unrecognisable as the media baron, Parker Wembley.

With Fred out of a job and Charlotte in need of a gag writer, the scene is set for their ‘meet-cute.’ At an exclusive party, the two cross paths. They do a double take. They re-evaluate the other because they’ve met before. As children, Charlotte was Fred’s babysitter. He was thirteen; she sixteen. He had a crush on her, admiring her beauty and idealism (she was running for Student President). Unfortunately, a mistimed erection put the kibosh on any friendship. Fred harbours no interest in a re-union. He doesn't think she could ever look past that adolescent penis; he fears on seeing him it would just stare back at her. Charlotte doesn’t see Fred as a horny teenager, rather a  likeable chap. Through a series of events, he is hired to join her writing team.


From here the journalist falls in love with the princess, just as in William Wyler’s Roman Holiday. Although unlike Peck and Hepburn, Rogen and Theron’s repartee is less decorous, more dishonorable. In one scene Fred asks Charlotte about relationships within politics: is it easy for a single politician with seismic ambitions to date? She argues a powerful woman is something of a ‘dick shriveller’ to most men. Fred replies, ‘the dick shriveller is my favourite Batman villain.’ Later, her affirmative response to the question of the truth in the rumours about her and the Canadian Prime Minister is met by Fred's, ‘I’ve hooked up with my fair share of world leaders too. I 69’d Fidel Castro once. You thought his beard was big.’ The Rogenisms are there, but they are ameliorated by Sterling and Hannah’s script.

"Will you take me for a ride later, Gregory?" winked Audrey.

For me, Long Shot is like a romcom of yesteryear: a grown-up picture about love with something satirical going on in the background. Only imagine that type of film going into the editing suite with Seth Rogen at the controls, dubbing mischievous swearing over the propriety. Long Shot is that film. It’s easy, smart, rude and funny– what’s not to like?

The Long Shot is on Netflix