Observe and Report (2009)

Pretty Good

Good movie but grossly overrated

A Masterpiece!

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Jody Hill's 2009 Dark Farcical Comedy Observe and Report follows Ronnie Barnhardt, the bipolar head of mall security at a mall that has been repeatedly targetted by a streaker. Deciding to disregard the police and higher authorities, Ronnie takes the case into his own hands and adopts a by-any-means attitude towards stopping the menace.This underrated pitch black and comedic picture beautifully casts Seth Rogen in the starring role, and in return, he offers the greatest acting performance of his career to date. This incredibly complex character is taken under the wing by Rogen with finesse and shows to be a role sculpted perfectly for this actor, usually associated with hilarious yet two-dimensional personalities (which often adds to the humour). This brutally funny performance is supported by a type-cast Ray Liotta, playing a stereotypical detective persona, the likes of which Scorsese films contain. This film does not only play a beautiful parodic homage to great 'vigilante justice' and violent cop thrillers such as Scorsese's 1976 Crime/Drama Taxi Driver and Don Siegel's 1971 Action/Thriller Dirty Harry, but it also pulls up the curtain on issues surrounding violence and gun law in America, issues that hold grave resonance right now. Barnhardt grows progressively violent throughout the film, from beating up drug addicts with a baton, building up to his pivotal use of a firearm at the climax on somebody comitting a felony of dissimilar proportions. This still however does not stop him from regaining his job as a mall security guard. Sure, he didn't gain a job as a police officer, but as he demonstrates throughout the film, Barnhardt dominates the mall, and uses methods similar or much more extreme than law enforcement to maintain 'order'. This highlights underscoring themes relating to power-play, who has the authority to inflict violence, and when is power given put into the wrong hands. Hill also questions how we as an audience interpret the violence: 'are we enjoying watching Ronnie's comeuppance?' 'Are we entertained by the often sadistic acts?', important rhetorical questions regarding our morality and curiosity as humans.This film is absolutely hilarious, and still drills deep into current social issues and the darker side of policing and the protection of the general public; a remarkable hidden gem.

So, if you're used to Seth Rogan's films you'll probably expect a stoner comedy, written on rizla with all the wit and class of a billionaire US president...However, this is a genuinely good film. It's dark - with an offbeat sensibility, but, I highly recommend it it if you haven't had a lobotomy and can appreciate a subtlety you won't often see - especially from it's lead.It has a disgustingly low score here - probably because mouth breathers are expecting something like the cinematic equivalent of opium...this reminded me more of something akin to the Cornetto trilogy...you'll like it if you get half the jokes, but if you can pick up on underlying humour then I think you'll like it more.Not necessarily a cerebral movie, but definitely above average and a hidden gem for those who have seen the same thing over and over from the likes of Happy Madison et al.

Jody Hill's wonderfully dark, mean spirited comedy is quite the departure for Seth Rogen. Gone is the good natured teddy bear we've come to love, replaced by a bipolar, delusional, sorry sack of a man named Ronnie Barnhardt. Ronnie is head of mall security in a dreary suburban plaza, and likes to think he runs it with an iron fist, when in fact he's a buffoon. Rogen willingly dives in, showing us an unstable man child with a skewed outlook on justice. When a hilarious, potty mouthed dick flasher shows his face around the mall parking lot, Ronnie sees it has his chance to crack a case (along with a few heads) and win over the approval of Brandi (Anna Faris), the makeup counter girl. Faris's performance is inspired, slutty lunacy, and she milks the ditzy, cringe inducing airhead bimbo fpr all its worth, with priceless facial expressions and a valley girl whine that would make the 90210 chicks puke. When hotshot Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) shows up to investigate, Ronnie immediately butts heads with him, in an obnoxious, belligerent way that eventually pushes the cop to the brink. Liotta uses his bristling hostility perfectly in comic form, and he's a treat to watch here, all macho swagger and arrogant sass. The film has a tone of constant irreverence, is wickedly anti PC, and quite the underside of the usual stuff Rogen does, which I love. Anyone with a twisted sense of humour will bawl laughing in this one. There's great cameos here too, including Danny Mcbride, Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt Celia Weston. Michael Pena dons an outlandish perm and a goofy lisp to play Ronnie's second in command. Director Hill's brand of prickly, biting humour where you don't know whether to laugh or be freaked out at times isn't for everyone, but I find it a breath of black humored air in the comedy genre, and a welcome deviation.

This a simple story about a character who is self obsessed and arrogant. This is a movie about mall life and revolves around the mall's head of security. The story will seem a lot of cliché but the ending is not. Not to be expected too much of the movie but not too disappointing also. The central character has the bad habit of saying all out as he thinks in mind which annoyed all the people. last but not the least It does have a background teaching for the viewers about how you should keep pursuing your dreams. It surely is a one time watch (without a lot of expectations).Story: 5/10 Direction: 6/10 Acting/Actors/Characters: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Structure and Impact: 7/10