Observe and Report

Seth Rogen plays Ronnie, Head of Security at the mall. He takes his job very seriously. He is in love with the girl who works at the cosmetics counter and he thinks she is the most beautiful girl in the mall, maybe even the world. When a streaker comes to the mall and starts harassing shoppers, Ronnie is committed to keeping the public and mall employees safe. Especially if that means he finds the streaker before the police do.

Along the way we get to know a little more about Ronnie. He still lives at home with his alcoholic mother. He and his small security team are very into guns and wish they were allowed to carry them in the mall. And Ronnie isn't the smartest guy; he prefers to settle things physically. But deep down, he seems to have good intentions, even if he fails to execute them.

This film disarms you with its humour, then goes to a darker place. For the first half of the film I found myself laughing, but then the laughter died down as the situations became more real. Ronnie and another security guard have a daylong bender on a variety of drugs and alcohol, during which time they decide to clear out some skateboarding teens. They brutally beat these teenagers with their fists, metal torches and their own skateboards. While the absurdity and shock of this scene initially seems funny, any humour quickly dissipates as you realise the reality of what is going on.

A lot of reviews have been quick to criticise, not to mention forum contributors who have been more forthright with their opinions. A questionable sex scene in particular comes under fire. However, while some of these criticisms may be valid, it is important to consider what the filmmaker (director Jody Hill) is trying to say through this movie. The scenes that offend so many are not just there to offend, but also to fill in the background of these characters.

This film has the potential to be many things. A portrait of a flawed misguided man, of what can happen when ignorant people come into power, as a demonstration of why violence really isn't funny. The film has a definite shift in tone. I don't think audiences should be too hasty to condemn this film. Whether it succeeds in what it sets out to do is up to the individual.

Observe and Report can be summarised by a line of dialogue from one of the police characters, "I thought this was gonna be funny, but it's just kinda sad."