Movie Review: Long Shot

How did a romantic comedy with a prominent political backdrop end up being so god damn jovial? Aren't politics supposed to conjure up nothing but the ugliest, bleakest emotions human beings can possibly feel-especially in 2019 where the discourse often resembles that of an exchange between two WWE rivals? Hell, Long Shot doesn't even shy away from addressing the very real and absurd problems women in politics face with tone, image, etc. when trying to craft a public persona that will win over voters during its jolly journey. Even typing this out now after seeing it nearly a week ago has me skeptical that a movie dealing with this subject matter could be so warm, hilarious and generally delightful, but after a lot of reflection, I can confirm that Long Shot is real and not just a product of a cruel, ultra-detailed mirage.

So was Long Shot sent from some kind of enlightened utopia where politics can be addressed in a humorous light without brushing off their seriousness? Possibly. However, I'm going to go ahead and attribute the tremendous success of this tricky balance to the lead actors. Not only do Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron have the type of easy, off-the-charts chemistry a romcom needs to thrive, they bring enough depth to their characters to make each serious aside the tightly-assembled narrative writers Liz Hannah and Dan Sterling put together feel completely believable. Plus their characters are both effortlessly funny and likable, which makes them a joy to be around and helps turn the unsurprising happy ending into a legitimately moving moment.

For my money, Long Shot is an instant genre classic. I haven't laughed this much or rooted harder for the main characters' relationship to work out in a romcom in a very long time and its real life political parallels are poignant without being forced or preachy. With the halfway mark of 2019 somehow already approaching, this probably won't be the last glowing shower of praise I give this cinematic upper over the next month or so.

(Stray take that I couldn't organically fit into the above review: O'Shea Jackson Jr. is a scene-stealing force who deserves a leading role in a comedy ASAP.)    

Grade: A