By Sam Watermeier 
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The days of light, naturalistic comedies are over. Enter “Observe and Report:” a strange and exciting amalgam of brutal, no holds barred action and screwball humor.  With a distinct sense of style, it separates itself from other comedies of late in creating its own unique world. The performances aren’t as interesting, but this film is one of the most original comedies in recent years nonetheless. 

Seth Rogen, the king of comedy for the moment, takes a complete 180-degree in the role of mall cop Ronnie Bernhardt. Far from his shaggy, fun-loving characters in “Knocked Up” and “Pineapple Express,” Ronnie is a violent, deeply delusional human being.  He takes his job to the extreme, threatening to kill any employees or customers that disrespect his authority (a promise he shockingly keeps on more than one occasion). The biggest challenge of his “career” arrives when a flasher terrorizes the mall and exposes himself to Brandi, (Anna Faris) Ronnie’s one and only love that clearly does not love him back. Ronnie spends the rest of the film trying to catch the flasher, impress Brandi, and fulfill his dreams of becoming a real police officer (dreams that are constantly crushed by an actual detective, played by the criminally underrated Ray Liotta).

Unfortunately, these performances are not as richly layered as the world in which the film takes place. Rogen’s performance is especially easy to see through. He does not truly lose himself in the character and sell it with conviction. Watching his performance is like watching one of his fun, light-hearted characters trying to do an impression of a corrupt, hateful cop. He seems uncomfortable during the violent scenes. Thankfully, he is still charismatic enough to persuade the audience to care for his character. The other actors aren’t quite as charming, though. Faris portrays Brandi with the same level of ditziness she brings to all her roles and ends up being more annoying than funny. It’s nice to see Liotta back in action. However, his straight man performance is a little too straight and he often comes across as boring. After all of this negativity, you might be asking yourselves, “Why is ‘Observe and Report’ so great? What makes it the ‘unique’ comedy you spoke of earlier?” Well, it’s all in the style.

“Observe and Report” stands out stylistically in that it is a comedy set in a gritty crime drama world. It’s as visually slick as crime thrillers like “GoodFellas” and “Heat.” While comedic directors like Judd Apatow have no sense of the camera or setting (his movies could really take place anywhere), “Report” director Jody Hill transports the audience to a specific time and place with a distinct mood. Like “GoodFellas,” there is a palpable threat of violence hanging over every scene and Hill moves the camera feverishly around dark corners and grungy settings. This visual contrast to the film’s screwball dialogue adds humor. Part of the film’s twisted sense of humor also involves subverting safe, conventional moments with crazy acts of violence. For example, there is one scene in which Ronnie runs into a group of thugs and instead of giving in to the gangsters or begging for his life, (which most comedies would have him do) Ronnie brutally beats the men, reducing them to a bloody pulp. “Observe and Report” creates moments of pure movie bliss by flying in the face of what people expect from comedies.

Instead of following friendly guys like those in “I Love You, Man,” “Observe and Report” chronicles morally ambiguous characters in a pathological world. With its hard-edged sensibility, it is perhaps the perfect comedy for our time: a time of social and economic unrest, anger and insecurity. Director Hill shows that comedies don’t always have to be safe. They also have the power to provoke. “Observe and Report” will leave you thinking long after you leave the theater. Oh yeah, and it will leave you laughing too. 

‘Observe and Report’

Directed By: 
Jody Hill

Starring:
Seth Rogan, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta

Rated:
R

In Theaters:
April 10, 2009

Running Time: 
86 minutes

Overall: 
B+