Observe and Report

After viewing filmmaker Jody Hill's debut movie, the mopey, dopey martial arts comedy The Foot Fist Way, I was less than enthused about the prospect of the writer-director's follow-up feature. While that first movie boasted a few funny moments and put rising star Danny McBride on the map, I never cared about any of the characters and felt that the script was a one-note joke. So you can imagine my surprise when Hill's sophomore effort, the dark and dangerous comedy Observe and Report, shattered my measly expectations and held me in its brilliant grasp for the entire duration of the movie. Amazingly, unexpectedly, almost impossibly, Observe and Report is more than just a great comedy; it is an eccentric and uncompromising work of art.

Teaming up with lovable superstar Seth Rogen proves to be just what Hill needs to unleash his caustic wit upon the world in all its dank and delicious glory. Rogen plays delusional hero-in-training Ronnie Barnhardt, who approaches his job as head of mall security with a level of seriousness and dedication that dwarfs the commitment of the local police. Ronnie is waiting for his opportunity to make a difference and that opportunity arrives at the beginning of the movie in the form of a trench-coated flasher who terrorizes women in the mall parking lot.

The initial incident gives Ronnie enough motivation to doggedly pursue the case, but when the flasher upsets Ronnie's love interest, the vapid, vacuous cosmetic consultant Brandi (perfectly played by Anna Faris, whose performance is one of the movie's many highlights), things turn personal. It's one thing to endanger the mall's everyday patrons, but another thing entirely to hurt the woman Ronnie thinks he loves.

From this point on, Ronnie's life is rocked by some very jagged ups and downs, as he applies for police academy, clumsily romanticizes Brandi, and ignores the attention of the sweetest woman in the mall (an injured mall employee played with just the right amount of charm by Collette Wolfe), all without abandoning his plan to catch the flasher. None of these plot points may seem entirely unique or wholly original when plainly listed, but part of the beauty and brilliance of Observe and Report is that Hill's script explores this territory with such masterful unpredictability.

Hill puts his stamp on every moment and injects genuine emotion into every frame. Ronnie is a character struggling with mental difficulties (he's taking medication for his bi-polar disorder) and his social skills are challenging, to say the least. But while so many filmmakers with a corrosive comic imagination would treat a character like Ronnie with derision, Hill loves and respects Ronnie and his careful handling of the character (along with Rogen's fantastic performance) gives us a reason to deeply and truly care. Hill is not afraid to push such a strange creation into the role of a hero and Ronnie's onscreen growth is a powerful display of human triumph over seemingly impossible odds.

Observe and Report is not a movie that will appeal to all moviegoers. It lacks the rapid-fire laugh-a-minute energy that defines so many comedies nowadays (especially the very funny ones produced, written and directed by Judd Apatow). It is still a very funny movie, but it is more of a darkly shaded character study than a flat-out comedy. Hill once described the movie as a sort of "comedic version of Taxi Driver," which is an apt comparison. Ronnie shares similar vigilante desires with De Niro's iconic character Travis Bickle and viewing Observe and Report through this type of lens paints an accurate portrait of the brilliant madness at work here.

But that doesn't mean that Observe and Report is easy to pin down and figure out from a mere comparison analysis. Like all great movies, this tale of hope and heroism possesses the power to surprise. As much as Hill is willing to take the story to strangely dark places, the movie never sinks so deep in the mire as to become inhuman and unrecognizable. Observe and Report always feels rooted in its believably absurd reality and each dip into the darkness (and every touching display of emotional honesty) feels determined by the decisions of the characters. Hill has created a wonderful playground where his fully realized characters can interact and clash together, resulting in a plot that feels organic and alive.

Adding to the extreme fun is the impeccable cast that Hill has assembled with his keen eye. Rogen does some of his best work, while the supporting players each bring their own energy and commitment to every side of the story. Faris and Wolfe are both incredible as polar opposite love interests for Ronnie. They both have a simple stereotype from which to glean inspiration (Faris is the blonde bimbo with no soul, while Wolfe is the innocent sweetheart with a heart of gold), but instead of taking the easy route, they both dig deep and make Brandi and Nell two women with their own distinct personalities.

There is also Ronnie's mother (played by Celia Weston, in what is arguably one of the most accurate depictions of onscreen drunkenness in recent memory), who showers her son with adoration even as she slurs her words. Once again, the character may seem simplistic on the surface, but her love for her son is communicated through aching honesty. Also along for the ride is Ray Liotta, who plays a grizzled detective whom Ronnie views as an enemy. Liotta's character represents everything that Ronnie wants to achieve professionally, so naturally, Ronnie views him as a threat. The pair butt heads for most of the movie, but Liotta brings a subtle amount of compassion to the role, preventing his character from ever falling into stock villain territory.

With Observe and Report, Jody Hill both skewers American mall culture and lovingly embraces it at the same time. This kind of push-and-pull tone is indicative of the entire viewing experience as the emotional ebb and flow of Ronnie's life plays out on screen. Hill may approach his comedy with an irreverent flair, but deep down, he loves the very thing he appears to be mocking. His infatuation with the world he has created becomes infectious and as Ronnie's journey deepens with meaning and importance, Hill's ability to balance the dark comedy and touching drama allows the movie to expertly hit its mark.

I cannot wait to see what Jody Hill does next. This is a man on a mission, armed with an incredible talent for crafting believable characters in the midst of narrative insanity. The Foot Fist Way was just a warm up. Observe and Report is an ingenious mixture of comedy and drama, each smile and frown smashing together to create something new and uniquely unpredictable. For me, Jody Hill is one of the most intriguing and exciting names in comedy entertainment right now. No matter where his career goes from here, no matter how good or bad his future path may prove to be, Hill has already put his indelible mark on modern cinema. This is filmmaking unchained, let loose upon the world with such imagination, ferocity, and heart that it can be deservedly hailed as no less than the best comedy movie in years.