When the worlds of journalism and politics collide, there’s usually a great deal of scandal, biased news or the occasional cover-up involved – plenty of reasons why audiences might find them to be mundane, or quite frankly, annoying. For Jonathan Levine’s film Long Shot, there’s a lot centered around these topics, but boring and irritating it is not. Sprinkle in plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a strong chemistry between its two leads, and you have a film that audiences should be thrilled to see.
Long Shot is a story about self-discovery. There’s journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen), who suddenly finds himself in a bind when he no longer believes in the company he works for and is forced to quit his job. Then, there’s Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), a President-hopeful who finds it difficult to connect with people despite having everything going for herself. When unusual circumstances allow Flarsky and Field to cross paths, they realize that they not only know each other, they need one another as well.
In the past, many films just couldn’t seem to get it right when it comes to depicting women in power on the big screen. Perhaps it’s because there are so few relatively speaking. In those films, there’s an overwhelming inclination to make these women unlikable & mean, they’re always one-dimensional and/or sidelined for other characters, and their decision-making seems to always streamline and depend on someone else. Jonathan Levine, with Long Shot, said “no more,” and gave us a lead character who is strong, bold, beautiful, and multifaceted, which reflects so many women around the world. With a woman’s pursuit of a position of power, there’s bound to be a good amount of dialogue centered around feminism, women rights, etc. In Long Shot, this is certainly the case; but the way in which it’s incorporated is incredibly clever, not overbearing and quite hilarious.
Long Shot‘s attention to its characters’ development is just one aspect on a long list of great things that make the film an epic romantic comedy. And with Theron and Rogen’s electrifying chemistry, audiences will immediately fall in love with what this duo has to offer on the big screen. In between writing speeches, dodging bullets and letting loose, Flarsky and Field showcase an undeniable connection paired with every heartwarming moment. And it’s times like these that strengthen the already tonally balanced, hilarious, uplifting, and joyous film. Beyond that, it also handles these characters with care in a sense that they never lose site of who they are; rather, they learn, through each other, how to become better versions of themselves.
Among some of these best moments, film lovers will have a lot to look forward to, one of which includes non-stop fun. Levine certainly did not hold back with combining the forces of politics and journalism in an thrilling way through action-packed scenes. His camera work and great detail focused around these sequences is a testament to the excitement the cast and crew must have experienced while filming.
With all of the humor, action sequences and even the romance, Levine’s feature never over welcomes its stay. To be frank, with the dynamic duo in Theron and Rogen’s characters along with just about everything else, audiences might actually be left craving for more. If there’s one thing that viewers should know about this film, it’s that it’s nothing short of a fantastic, adventurous journey through self-discovery, romance and a little politicking in between. That’s why we at PCR have deemed it our film of the weekend; and chances are, it’s a long shot that audiences will disagree.
