Observe and Report
Added 2022-08-08 17:04:15 +0000 UTCThat film is one of those movies I never forgot and it's always been nagging at me to review. For me, I see it as a really interesting black comedy, that flew under the radar unnecessarily. I think in part, it has to do with Paul Blart: Mall Cop coming out at a very similar time, and the latter could appeal to a much wider demographic. (Observe and Report is also about a mall cop as well)
Thus O&R ends the Seth Rogan streak of success temporarily. It splits a lot of people. Some find it difficult, whereas I see it as almost a modern day Taxi Driver in some ways haha. What are your thoughts?
Comments
Oh, I agree. But artists who don’t have as much power can’t risk having their work bogged down in an online takedown cycle, if they want to stay in the good graces of the studios or whatever. It’s depressing. That’s why I love the artists who say fuck it.
Jim Barnes
2022-08-10 01:16:38 +0000 UTCYou shouldn't have to answer for anything as an artist, once the work is out there, imo.
Deepfocuslens
2022-08-09 23:41:20 +0000 UTCThat’s a bold statement to make. But I think I see where you’re coming from. Most violent, maladjusted incels in this world are going to come off more like Seth Rogen’s character than they do De Niro’s. You need only look at John Hinckley, Mark David Chapman, or the Sandy Hook gunman to confirm that. Despite his best efforts to come off as awkward and withdrawn as possible, De Niro can’t help but bring charisma and a kind of glamour to Travis that many shooters wish they could emulate. Rogen as Ronnie comes off as more comically pathetic—a legend only in his own mind—that’s more in line with what that kind of man who turns to violence would wind up being. Still…it’s a stretch to say that Rogen’s Ronnie is a more effective portrayal of that kind of alienated man who uses violence to raise his station in life than De Niro’s Bickle. In my mind, Bickle is one of the great characters, in both literature and cinema, of the latter half of the 20th century. Going off of Schrader’s script and Scorsese’s direction, De Niro digs deep into the psyche of this type of man. He mines a similar vein of black comedy as Rogen with Travis’s awkwardness, like when he takes Betsy to the porno. But there is a scariness to Travis (his fetishization of guns) as well as a kind of pathos to him (his utter loneliness and failure to connect with people) that I find Rogen’s Ronnie lacks. Sometimes Travis conveys all of those qualities at once, like in the iconic mirror scene. I enjoyed Rogen’s performance, but, with the exception of that date rape scene, he isn’t breaking any new ground that De Niro didn’t go over first. His performance is that of a riff on Travis Bickle, filtered through his comedic sensibilities as well as that of director Jody Hill’s. Travis is a far more arresting, and layered, mixture of black comedy, pathos, and outright horror than Ronnie. But I am certainly intrigued to hear what you have to say about it in your review.
Bennett Oliver
2022-08-09 02:11:59 +0000 UTCAnd I think there’s a chilling effect on creators, too. You have to really believe in something if you’re going to risk having to “answer for it” from all the mainstream culture sites.
Jim Barnes
2022-08-08 23:23:11 +0000 UTCI actually find Seth Rogen's Ronnie character more effective in some ways than De Niro as Travis. I argue it's Rogen's most important role.
Deepfocuslens
2022-08-08 21:51:06 +0000 UTCyeah...and unfortunately controversial dark comedy doesnt hit quite the same way with audiences as it used to.
Deepfocuslens
2022-08-08 21:48:25 +0000 UTCI’m in line with Bennett Oliver here. I need to revisit it — it’s been several years since I saw it — but I always liked it a lot. I don’t think mainstream audiences had an idea how to take it, which often happens with truly dark comedy. There were many culture website blog posts about the drunken sex (some would say rape) scene, and it seems like that is what it is remembered for in the wider world, if anything. I like pitch-dark stuff, and I enjoy this movie. I understand why others might not.
Jim Barnes
2022-08-08 20:23:15 +0000 UTCI think of it as something of a parody of Taxi Driver because it follows the same train of illogic of him shooting the bad guy at the end (in full view of the public no less) and being lauded as a hero by everyone, including the cops. They wanted to take a guy with a similar mentality to Travis Bickle and play him for laughs. Nice change of pace for Seth Rogen at the time from playing goofy stoners. Way better than Paul Blart of course.
Bennett Oliver
2022-08-08 17:54:49 +0000 UTCNever heard of it but it can't be worse than Paul Blart, can it? Seriously, Happy Madison "films" can go to hell. They were a cancer to comedy that was nothing but an excuse for Adam Sandler and his buddies to go on vacation to beautiful locales while overshadowing actual quality works. If you can't even intellectually and technically make something that a 10 year old with a camcorder can do in his backyard, your movie sucks.
Wolfman Brandon
2022-08-08 17:45:41 +0000 UTCI remember thinking of it as a modern day Taxi Driver too, and it was nice to see Seth Rogen play against type.
luckEdrew
2022-08-08 17:14:15 +0000 UTC
