Observe and Report
There have been numerous films that have garnered bad reviews, both by critics and the general public. Others are beloved by all who watch them, as seen with last year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture Slumdog Millionaire. And yet, certain films get lambasted by the critics and in turn fly under the radar of the populous but end up becoming cult phenomenons (i.e. The Big Lebowski, which demands its own bJ Retro Review, coming soon…). There are also movies which get only some love from the media, and without having intentions of doing so, may cause it to be overlooked. Well, the latter scenario is the one that best fits in with a movie that was released earlier this year, Observe And Report.
I generally don’t listen to common folks when it comes to movies, as I like to make my own judgment, but usually go down a path paved by words of critics I respect. So when I initially viewed the trailer for Observe And Report, I was wildly excited. The premise of a semi-psychotic mall security guard seemed comical enough and it boasted a cast of: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Anna Farris, and my main my man Aziz Ansari, among others. Some critics did give it fantastic reviews, as did many comedians themselves (most notably David Letterman. Check out how humble it makes Rogen to hear). Yet, others were quite harsh on this film.
Well, since the movie hit theaters in April of this year until this past week, I had not been able to see it. I was, however, able to hear the complaints about it from EVERY SINGLE PERSON who saw it. How could a movie with such a recipe for success have been so wrong? I had to see for myself, besides the fact, that it was on my Movie To Do List.
Thankfully, as mentioned above, I don’t listen to the haters. Why? Because they have no taste for films. They are just looking to be entertained by the same movie, just in different packaging. It’s as if I asked a person who frequents White Castle to give me their thoughts on filet mignon. People, for the most part, are stupid. They can never envision themselves enjoying things that are outside the box they are consumed by.
This movie is not a date night movie; it’s not a goofy comedy either. It is a dark, funny, disturbed, and somewhat demented piece of movie magic! This film doesn’t just go over the line, in several instances, but it completely obliterates it, so all you see is some chalk dust remnants. Each character has his/her own style and when combined together, the end result is glorious. This wasn’t filmed with a laugh track. You aren’t meant to laugh only at certain parts of it. There are far more scenes of craziness and insanity that are completely deadpan, that cause even more hilarity than the actual jokes.
The truth of the matter is that there are people like this amongst us, and this is truly a slice of life. Maybe not a slice of the pie you eat from, but for that lonely mall-cop with delusions of grandeur, it hits home. And it hit the mark for me, which, let’s be honest, is all that really matters. (That doesn’t sound like I’m a dick, does it?) Either way, and anyway, I fully recommend this movie to whoever is looking for a different type of comedy that will replay in your mind for days to come.
