Observe and Report

Observe and Report, a film written and directed by the man behind The Foot Fist Way and HBO's brilliant Eastbound and Down, is one that will certainly leave audiences divided. And not casually divided, but more in the extreme sense, where some will love it and others hate. I fell in the former category, and feel strong enough in that belief that I can say it is one of the best comedies I've seen this year. Trailers shown for Observe and Report do the film no justice, and barely touch on how dark it is. Plus, there are those out there who must compare to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which couldn't be any more different from Observe and Report (well, I'm assuming, because I have not seen Blart, but word on the street backs my statement up). In terms of Observe's star, Seth Rogen, well, this isn't remotely like his Apatow stuff. His character, Ronnie Barnhardt, is a delusional, violent, twisted man who struggles separating reality from the world he has created for himself in his mind. In his eyes, he is a hero, but to everyone else, he is just a mall cop with delusions of grandeur. While not perfect, Observe and Report, when viewed with neutral expectations, will not disappoint, at least not fans of director Jody Hill's other material. This is a studio comedy that pushes a lot of boundaries, and may even start some minor controversy, which earns it some credit in my book.

Genre - Comedy (3)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (2)