Seth Rogen is a major player in mainstream American comedy cinema. The writer of Superbad and star of Knocked Up, he seems to turn up in most films as a lovable stoner. And that’s what makes Observe and Report so confusing. This is not a film that fits into the mould of his previous films, although it gives every indication to the viewer that it does. It would be better to go in thinking of it as an indie film in the style of Juno or Napolean Dynamite, only less arch and idiosyncratic.
Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, the chief security officer in a suburban mall that is plagued by a flasher. His delusions of grandeur lead him to believe he can bring the perp to justice single-handedly, without the help of the police (led by a very tanned Ray Liotta). He also believes he can win the heart of Anna Faris’s slutty make-up counter girl.
Ronnie appears to be the usual slobby underachiever played by Rogen, but some distance into the story it becomes clear that he is unstable. His mental illness isn’t used to poke fun at him, exactly, but this isn’t a serious examination of manic depression either. Jody Hill, the writer and director, must have been hoping to achieve something, but I’m not sure what that was.
Faris is wonderfully un-self-conscious as usual, puking and hitching up her skirt with aplomb, and Rogen plays a crazed innocent well. There are still plenty of jokes, funny lines and very silly situations, but the whole thing doesn’t quite gel. Probably best not to over-analyse this one, just enjoy the weirdness and silliness of it all.
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