Observe and Report

**1/2 Stars

To answer the first question on everyone's mind, Observe and Report is not the sloppy seconds of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Although I would not denounce the argument that Observe and Report is the NC-17 version of Paul Blart: Mall Cop directed by Martin Scorsese.

Writer and director Jody Hill (My Foot Fist Way) has crafted a highly lucrative and disturbingly upfront portrait of the bottom of the barrel vision of these United States. In a post-9/11 world, we are run-amok with Hollywood films bashing the politics of America (Rendition, Lions for Lambs, Body of Lies, W., The Kingdom, any Michael Moore film) but no film has taken a shot at it with a comedy until now. And while I can't say Observe and Report is your typical run-of-the-mill comedy, it is fully aware of its dramatic limitations and ability to push the envelope without losing credibility. Unfortunately, the strength of this execution also brings out its inevitable weaknesses.

Seth Rogen dives headfirst into his character Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar sociopath who has a mission to protect the Forrest Ridge Mall from anyone who threatens it. When a creepy older man begins to constantly flash people throughout the mall property, Ronnie is compelled to intervene. His dream girl Brandi (Anna Faris) is a victim of the flasher and now Ronnie wants revenge.

Revenge on what you ask? Well, it’s hard to say exactly. Observe and Report is an extremely appropriate title for this one-note feature because this is just 86-minutes of shocking footage that contains random acts of terror set at a typical American mall. In today’s world, this can be a brilliant concept for a comedy, but the film makes one big mistake: it’s really not that funny.

And maybe I’m seeing it the wrong way, but I can honestly say that this film is too well made for its screenplay. It’s when Jody Hill stops trying so hard that Observe and Report works best. The funniest segment of the film comes from when Ronnie and his partner Dennis (a surprisingly hilarious Michael Pena) decide to take drugs and patrol the area under the influence. The over-the-top brutality mixed in with its lampooned montage like style is quite possibly one of the most outspoken statements about law enforcement abuse of the decade. Sadly, it’s trapped inside a hit-and-miss film.

A comedy really has to pound in the humor, but Jody Hill decides to pound in vulgarity instead. Why not have more fun with the mall’s customers? Does every single character in this movie have to be so rotten? If they are so be it. That’s completely fine. But all the potential magic is lost the second rotten characters are forced into rotten situations instead of the other way around. Perhaps this is why that one scene worked so well.

The cast is terrific. Rogen and Faris seem very comfortable with each other, which is probably necessary in order to pull off such crude material. For example, after a drunken dinner, Brandi and Ronnie head to the bedroom for some awkwardly induced intercourse. Brandi appears unconscious in parts and puking in others while Ronnie continues to enjoy himself. The feminist group WomenAndHollywood is making the case that this scene is an act of rape. New York Magazine is defending it, claiming that Ronnie stops when he thinks she is passed out and that he is desperate to find love. While I can’t agree with either one’s arguments, the fact that this scene overshadows the rest of the film’s horrific violence proves just how much this country is screwed up in the head. Hmm, maybe that’s what Jody Hill was going for; letting us know that violence is a secondary concern regardless of an unlawful and immoral execution that leads to someone’s death. If that is the case, then God help us all.