Review: Long Shot (Jonathan Levine, 2019)
Alex joins Raquel on Drive-Thru Cinema for a chat on romantic comedies and a review of Long Shot.
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Synopsis
Fred Flarsky, a moral but controversial journalist, is hired by his former babysitter Charlotte Filed, now the most powerful woman in the world, to write her speeches in her run for the US Presidency.
Expectations (00:21)
This is what we hoped for before watching the film!
Raquel: It seems quite predictable, I hope it won’t be.
Alex: With a premise like a funny, romantic version of a House of Cards arc, I expect to see something more than the usual tropes we see in every Rom-Com.
Review (12:56)
This is what we thought of the film. Score is out of five stars.
Raquel (★★★★): A very good film. It’s got awesome characters, a compelling story, and overall it was great!
Alex (★★★★): I think it was just a new and unpredictable version of the romantic comedy and I really, really welcome it. That’s probably one of the best romcoms if not the best, but at least one of the best romcoms I've ever watched.
Extended review
By Raquel Bartra
Rom-coms. It feels like we’ve seen the same story over and over again, just with different faces and slightly different scenarios. This is definitely not the case for Long Shot, starring Charlize Theron as Charlotte Field and Seth Rogen as Fred Flarsky.
The first win this film has is the chemistry between the two main actors who manage to sell a convincing but down-to-earth on-screen romance despite exceptional circumstances. She is, after all, the most powerful woman on the planet, with big dreams of becoming the first US President — whilst he is a very opinionated journalist willing to do anything just to say what he thinks is right.
Supporting roles such Charlotte’s assistant Maggie (June Diane Raphael) and Fred’s best friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are also brilliant. These characters could have sinned of being just supporting characters, but instead had their own stories, points of view, and definitely added value to the film.
Long Shot is largely about politics, although simplified given it’s not a biopic or government-type film. In a world where politicians’ polls drop at eating a sandwich in the wrong way, this film uncovers the absurdity of politics using a light tone but still portraying key issues such as sexism, appearances, blackmailing, and third-party interests which interfere with the best intentions.
It also reminds us that politicians are just people — making a point through Charlotte’s desire to just be able to not care about anything, which she shares with Fred. Their similar yet clashing perspectives on life and how the world works make room for discussion on compromise, which both characters have to learn of in both their professional and personal lives. On that note, the film also goes beyond party politics in favour of bipartisanism and shows how the veil between people with different political views is a thin one.
Long Shot is a film more about morality and compromise than it is a regular romcom, and is definitely worth watching.
Transcript
Raquel: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Drive-Thru Cinema. I’m your host on driver Raquel and today I am joined by Alex. Hey Alex,
Alex: Hi there.
Yeah, Alex is it’s already your third show
I know since you cut the first one, as reminded when we went to the end game. I’m back.
He back. Anyway, so tonight we’re going to we’re on our way to go see a romantic comedy. So it’s, it’s called Long Shot.
So it’s basically — US Secretary of State learns for the president that he does not plan of running for a second term, seeing an opportunity, she convinced him to endorse her as a potential candidate for the presidency.
So it starts Charlize Theron, who else is quite a famous actor for this type of films.
O’Shea Jackson, Seth Rogen, Andy Serkis, isn’t it? Yes. Got a few names in there. Yeah.
And the director? And is it Jonathan?
Jonathan Levine.
So he’s, and he has done quite a few sort of — I want to say underdog romantic comedies. And so obviously, like there’s a character who obviously is way less powerful than the other for whatever reason, so one directed by him they absolutely love and a lot of people mock me because of this… He directed Warm Bodies.
I like that one.
Yeah, it’s great. So for anyone who doesn’t know, well watch it because it’s great. And despite where everyone else says, and it’s basically Romeo and Juliet with zombies, and it stars Nicholas Hoult who I absolutely love. And so yeah, it’s got a quirky, like, it’s got a really cool style to it I’d say. So I definitely hope that this film, has it — it already looks from the trailer, it’s got a good like tone to it. And I obviously absolutely love the fact that it’s a woman who’s in power.
Yeah.
And which is something we don’t really see very often. And I’m glad that the industry is kind of like realizing that.
I mean, from the trailer, she looked like, she could play that part really well. And it does actually look like a bit of a role reversal from what we usually see.
Yeah. So um, is there anything from the trailer that like, jumped up or you want to really see from this film?
Well, I mean, the first thing I thought when I looked at it was, Oh, it’s House of Cards, but funny. Just based on the idea of bringing in somebody to do your speech writing, and so on. And I don’t know if that was the first impression I got I might be completely wrong. But the premise itself seemed very similar.
And I suppose the other thing it made me think of immediately, and I don’t think if you’ve seen this, but Notting Hill. So in Notting Hill again, it’s, it’s a woman in power. And there’s this journalist who falls in love with her. And will it stars, Julia Roberts, and Hugh Grant and it’s amazing, because I think I’m not entirely sure, but I think they kind of do a reference to it on the trailer for Long Shot. Which, by the way, I have to say it’s a great title. What a good title it is Long Shot because it just captures everything. Yeah, it’s just a good tie. So films, I feel not don’t usually have such good titles. It’s quite rare if you go through these things. But on the topic of obviously, like romantic comedies, do you have any favourites, something you hate about them or something you love about them?
I really like Bridget Jones, but that’s mostly for my love of Colin Firth. I’m not sure I have anything I particularly love or even hates about them. I just if I enjoy them, I enjoy them. If I don’t, I don’t. I don’t think I have any strong opinions on the genre necessarily. Yeah.
So um, one we watched and that was quite good, I think, is Crazy, Stupid Love. It encompasses what I want our romantic comedy to be, like so much more than a romantic comedy for if that makes sense. And Crazy Stupid Love definitely has that. Although I suppose it’s more of a bromance, midlife crises type film than a romcom? I don’t know. Like, I think it is classified like eSports romantic comedy. But who knows? I may be wrong. And other romantic comedies I can think of? I don’t know. Bridget Jones. Yeah, definitely like, like all of all three of them. I could defend, like Bridget Jones to death. Pretty much what I like about romantic comedies is that I mean, they’re easy, easy to watch enjoyable. So obviously, I’m expecting this from Long Shot, but at the same time, because he’s got actually quite good reviews. I think he’s got like 80 something percent in Rotten Tomatoes, which for a romantic comedy like it already, I think, quite an accomplishment. And even those just obviously, it’s just been released. And it’s like IMDb rating is like 7.2?
What did you say? It’s Rotten Tomatoes?
I think I gave to say 86% or
83. So close.
Well, sad times, didn’t quite get that. But almost!
You know, I think with romantic comedies, it’s just very easy to watch. You can watch them at any time. You don’t need to necessarily be in any particular mood to want to watch it.
Definitely. What I feel is the kind of the point of the cinema that you’re going to like unwind for the the purpose of like, escapism and stuff, which I yeah, I like like, that’s, that’s a fair point. And I was reading the comments on the YouTube trailer. And some people were saying like, oh, he gave too much information, obviously, like, is probably going to be quite predictable. So I’d say something I would like to be a unpredictable. I think that I think he’s got potentially it’s got a really good premise, I think. And I also love that like, obviously, like she’s supposed to be the, his babysitter. Which I just just find really funny. And, and obviously like, Yeah, I don’t know, I’m, I’m really looking forward to this fingers crossed at one this disappoint. I mean, it won’t be worse than Date Movie. So let’s just take a second to talk about Date Movie. And this is bearing in mind that I think I mentioned Date Movie every two episodes. And so can you describe Date Movie, please?
We watched it by accident, thinking Oh, it’s on Netflix, it’ll be alright. Then went through the stage of thinking, Oh, this is ironically bad. And then got to the stage of Oh my god, they’ve done every single potential bad trope in a romcom ever. and put them into a film.
Well, I mean, it’s a parody film.
Too much so, too much.
I mean, you can definitely tell is a parody. And kudos to it though. It’s on the bottom 25 IMDb. So he’s got like a two out of 10 or something tragic like that. And it’s a really bad film, but kudos to it. Because we finished watching it, which is more than you can say about some like more popular films are just some things like meh. Yeah. And I mean, I still want to know what was going on. So I suppose there that. And then if we if we’re talking about films that you talked, you said that that one goes with a lot of like tropes and stuff. But if we talk about films, I kind of tried to break the trope by using tropes like Netflix released that film with Rebel Wilson Isn’t It Romantic where she sort of this girl who hates romantic comedies and says that life’s not like that which obviously it isn’t. She has an accident and wakes up in a world where everything is like a romantic comedy
I did like that one.
I thought I thought that was really good. And I like I like when he when they break the mould. Yeah. And although I suppose obviously, like, I don’t know, I don’t know how romantic this will be, in a way. Because like, usually the cheesiest romantic comedies come out in February, for for Valentine’s Day. So yeah, we’ll have to see. That said, and we are we’re about to get into the cinema. And we’re going to watch it. And yeah, we’re going to put the trailer now and just stick around for the review in just a few moments.
We just got out of watching Long Shot at the cinema, say Alex first impressions: what did you think?
It was a lot better than I expected. Seriously, like, I’ve really enjoyed that.
It was so so good. So let’s dive straight in. Why do you think it was so good?
Well, first of all Long Shots has more than one meaning I’ll let you discover what that is.
I’ve just realized that. Oh, again, a great title.
It was really good. I didn’t think it was that predictable, to be honest.
Well, I know like, especially like it has some stuff you definitely not like in definitely like didn’t expect and there were some really like surprise, like surprising moments, I’d say.
I mean, there were there were some very predictable parts like you’re the Rupert Murdoch knockoff and certain TV spangles president. Some things were a bit on the nose, but I think it works. I think it was really good.
Definitely. Okay, so let’s go like, bit by bit.
Yeah.
So the first thing I obviously like in the romcoms an important thing is like, the relationship between the two characters. I just thought like, it was amazingly done. I thought it was just like a kind of sort of like a normal relationship because like, obviously, the whole film is based on the main characters struggle, because obviously like she’s running to be president, and he’s just not even just a normal guy- a journalist has written some really was the word — angry, really angry, like you see, like cursing and stuff. And the film overall, like it’s about people’s moral compasses. And which is just such a such an important thing when it comes to talk about and I suppose politics, I need how so much commentary on how things are done, like you could have taken the, obviously like, this is a romantic comedy, but it for a long part didn’t feel like it. And I think it would have been, it would have been a really good film as well, if they had gotten a bit more political -
I mean, to be honest, if it had people who were way off with their moral compass people who were trying to balance their moral compass people who were didn’t know where their moral compass was, it was, it was really interesting.
It was, yeah. And obviously, like, really back to their relationship with we got to experience just so many things. I don’t know. It’s just so amazing. Obviously, things that happen to like normal people as well. So obviously, we won’t spoil them. And but quirkiness and like real-life situations. So we have any couple and just what he says thanks stake is so much more is stake in this film, I suppose. And obviously, like any some film about compromise, and it’s a film pretty much about like, just like morality and stuff like that, I suppose. So yeah, I think that’s why I really, really liked it was really deep, like when do you get, films are a romantic comedy and also pretty deep?
rarely is still really easy watching? Yeah, I feel I could watch that in the cinema, on my phone on the move, just in bed. I could watch it anywhere.
That’s what I was thinking as well. Like, and you can tell it’s definitely obviously like, it’s had a cinema release and all, you can definitely tell that it’s been sort of obviously cut to watch home. Like I suppose most romantic comedies, the aim is to put them on a streaming service and sell them later. Because you could tell like, but whenever they let write letters, because obviously like they travel around the world, and they’re pretty big, which is usually something they do in when you’re going to watch them on a smaller screen. So there’s just a bunch, just a bunch of like, tiny, tiny things that make it more I don’t know, accessible to be watched anywhere you fancy.
Yeah.
It’s pretty cool. And I obviously like yes, I say films like this. They’re they’re kind of made to, to watch.
But I think that’s a good thing. It’s definitely good to use the cinema was really empty. But the people who were there were very into it into it. Yeah, it was just so so receptive.
It was such a great cinema watching experience. And I feel like, you know, like, in a few years, it might become like, well, obviously not cult…
the following?
You know, films like Notting Hill, or Bridget Jones, which has their romantic comedies, yes, before long thing, they’re absolute masterpieces. But they’re still really, really good. And popular, and they people love them. And I feel like this film has a lot of potential to become something and something like that there was just so many, like, special, small stuff of our set that I just really, really enjoyed. I love the, the cause a pick that she has to kind of go for is about the environment. Yeah, um, which obviously, like it’s a hot topic right now. And everyone’s kind of like you know, into discussing like, environmental issues. And you can, there’s a lot of social commentary on it, and how she has to to like kind of pass this so like what she has to go through and how the system actually works against that in favor of corporations. Yeah. And which is something they could have picked any cause…
I mean, there is no doubt that the environment is one of the most ubiquitous, like, it has to be a good thing. Although I do I do like this subtle nod towards the facts that is not only like a one side, so you do kind of need the support of both sides with it. So it wasn’t all about going: the Democrats are great because they’re trying to save the environment and and the GOP are evil. It wasn’t that it was saying that you can be GOP and be a good person and somebody’s best friend, and still support good causes. It’s it’s actually trying to build a dialogue rather than
and they never they also never say like what she it. We don’t know what party she’s on. Does he look at her and you think like I should probably a democrat but then you look at the president, you look at the president and like they’re obviously on the same party. But he…
I think he does really well to escape kind of the us against them side, at least in terms of politics. And really kind of goes at the source of the problems.
Again, a film about compromise. Yeah. I think that’s I like the most important thing about this film. What I just, you can tell I really liked. Um, yeah, it was, it was just a great, great film. Overall, I yeah. No, no complaints, I’d say. And so I suppose as we’re approaching the end of our, our quick ride, and just what was, I suppose one thing you really loved about say and what do you rate out of five?
I think it was just a new and unpredictable version of the romantic comedy and I really, really welcome it. And what would I rate it? Probably for four and a half? Probably. That’s probably the one of the best romcoms if not the best, but at least one of the best romcoms I've ever watched.
um, I think I gave it a solid four with maybe an opportunity for — maybe an opportunity for getting, or feeling a bit better in time, maybe, maybe it might, it might go up. I don’t know. And but yeah, well, we’ll have to see, I thought it was definitely like, added something new new to the genre. I think I absolutely love how like, there was no like — And even they made fun kind of how they treat women on their stations. On that note, definitely, definitely watch this film.
It’s well worth more of more of an audience than we had.
It was just so good. And, and yeah, I don’t think we’ve got any, like much more to add to that. Yeah, we’re doing a blog now. So follow us on Medium as well, where we’ll be posting some more, I suppose lengthy reviews. And also if you like this podcast, please share with everyone we’re a social media and Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And if you really, really love it, just review it on iTunes. And we’ll be here next time when we do yet another review.
Thank you.
