Review of Observe and Report (2009) by Rameshwar N — 04 Jul 2011

Raunchy, vulgar, and gruesome? Yes. Yes. and Yes. But if you can see through all that there are other aspects of Observe And Report that are not only comical, but also quite brilliant. Right off the bat, the soundtrack is incredible. The Band's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" starts the movie off perfectly, and the movie is constantly backed by a tremendous selection of somewhat underrated songs from classic artists. The Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" is perfect for the binge scene, the final chase is accompanied by a remake of the Pixies classic "Where Is My Mind," and if you didn't have a smile on your face when Queen's "It's Late" blares as the protagonist, Ronnie, climatically confronts the policemen at the end, you're a f***ing zombie.

The film itself is centered around a sea of characters, most of which are incredible due to the fact that they have never been seen before. A bipolar protagonist who, while a bit gun-crazy, short-tempered, and profane, is also just a simple, nice guy trying to be a hero. I think it is by far the most interesting character Rogen has ever played. Every character who could've been played very one dimensionally, like most comedies, yielding more time for dick and fart jokes and less time for the darker humor, was done differently here, and it was refreshing.

Also, when Ronnie steps out and caps that dude. Nobody saw that coming.