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With another Presidential election coming up next fall, the race is already filling up with Presidential hopefuls—from familiar faces to up and comers to more controversial figures. But, so far, none of the current candidates have stirred up quite the same craziness as the duo in Long Shot.
This outrageous rom-com hits the campaign trail with Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), the young, powerful Secretary of State, who’s about to begin her run for President. Before she can announce her candidacy, though, she needs to work on her image by setting up a major global initiative and punching up the humor in her speeches. She surprises everyone on her staff by hiring Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen), a controversial journalist who also happens to be her childhood neighbor. And as the two work to win over the people, they find their own unlikely connection, too.
Long Shot is definitely an unexpected comedy, mixing politics and romance with a pinch of action and a heaping scoop of Seth Rogen-style humor. On Charlotte’s side, it’s a sometimes thoughtful story about the challenges of working in politics: the lack of downtime, the inability to have a social life, and the pressure to compromise your beliefs in order to rise to the level of power where you can actually do the things that are important to you. She’s a likable character—dedicated, caring, and determined—the kind you’d want in a position of power. And you’ll feel the loneliness that she so obviously lives with.
But, of course, Charlotte isn’t the only character in this movie—and Fred takes an otherwise sweet rom-com and cranks up the craziness. In many ways, then, your enjoyment of this movie will depend on your overall feelings toward Seth Rogen and his shtick—because he’s very Seth Rogen in this movie. He may be closing in on 40, but he still acts like he’s in his early 20s. He’s loud and unkempt and generally obnoxious, usually under the influence of something, and constantly saying things that grown men probably shouldn’t say in public. He can be incredibly funny, but he can also cross the line and take his adolescent humor too far. And he definitely sets the tone of the film.
Rogen and Theron certainly make an unlikely pair, but her poise and his fun-loving nature make Long Shot a different kind of rom-com. It’s wild and crazy, but it’s sweet and often smart, too. So if you can handle Rogen’s larger-than-life personality, you’ll enjoy this outrageous political comedy.
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