Wow, another month…ANOTHER Seth Rogan movie. Rogan is the busiest person in Hollywood….which totally contradicts the idea that smoking pot makes you lazy and unmotivated. I’d go on record saying that Rogan is the busiest stoner in the fucking world.
A good friend of mine is an amalgamate of all Rogan’s characters, so it’s really wasteful of me to spend money seeing his movies when I could just call up my buddy. None the less, I like 90% of the movies Rogan stars in, and Observe and Report is right up there with his other flicks.
O.A.R. begins with a montage of everyday mall life and and operations. Rogan brings his comedic bravado to the role of Ronnie Barnhardt, an over-weight mall-cop that’s hell bent on keeping order. A flasher has recently been terrorizing the mall, and it’s Barnhardt’s job to stop him. His obsession: Anna Faris, the cunty make-up store girl.
Barnhardt’s surely team of co-horts includes twin-actor duo John and Matt Yuen, and is rounded out by Tyson-tongued scene stealer Michael Pena. It’s quickly established that Barnhardt isn’t afraid to get the job done, and he does so by nightstick OR a skateboard to the face.
Director/writer Jody Hill (Eastbound and Down) brings his dark take on hillbilly humor to O.A.R.,
and gives us 2009’s most unconventional comedy. This movie isn’t littered with “falling-down” jokes, moreso “slight your throwt” humor. Hill has a knack
for scripting over-confident losers that have a false sense of superiority. Based on their mannerisms, Kenny
Powers and Ronny Barnhardt could be cousins. Both are creeps, and have
all the charm of a daterapist. Somehow both possess a hypnotic
charm that conjures laughter and humor. Both’s wardrobes could be
plucked from a time capsule that was buried in 1993. The same dated
fashion-sense doesn’t elude their hair styles either.
O.A.R. has three definative elements: Hill’s comedic sensibilities, Rogan’s acting chops (he’s getting better and better) and the film’s amazing supporting cast. Anna Faris (underused), Aziz Ansari, and Celia Weston each bring a different element to the films comedic landscape. Weston’s role as Barnhardt’s sloshed mother would usually be portrayed as a male father-figure whom can’t quite get it together, but still loves his family. In this case, Hill elects to make the role a woman, and thus fabricates some of the best lines of the movie.
I can’t say it enough, this movie is dark…and makes no qualms about it. The comedy comes from the blackest, tar-filled depths that a joke can be told. Some of Rogan’s best scene’s are with Pena, especially the hilarious montage where the two smoke pot, do coke and shoot heroin. At one point, Rogan trots around the mall pretending to shoot black children with a fake shotgun. I had to remind myself what I was laughing at.
Goodfella Ray Liotta makes a brief attempt at as Detective Harrison. His role is the only one that needed improvement, and was thus bland and tasteless. He didn’t “bring it”, and was probably just cast out of nostaglia. Harrison’s detective work is summed up by “let’s find the hottest girl and give her a shoulder to cry on.” I’m jealous…he DOES get to bang Anna Faris. Bitch….I told her in my dreams that type of acting isn’t allowed now that we’re together. 😉
The film’s climax will be talked about for some time. I wont spoil the on-screen ecstasy, but lets just say that the use of The Pixies cheerful “Where Is My Mind” will now be thought of as the song that brought everything to a bloated, stubby end.
After seeing O.A.R., I’m looking forward to more of Hill’s outings…especially the second season of Eastbound and Down. As for Rogan…well just like Steven Adler said, “Role role role your joint and twist it at the end. Take a puff and get fucked up and pass it to a friend.”
You’re fuckin out, I’m fucking in – Kenny Powers