Charmed! Up to his old tricks is Vancouver’s most famous actor Seth Rogen. Sorry Ryan Reynolds – you just can’t cut it in the romantic. Though you may have Blake Lively in your personal life corner Rogen ups the ante considerably with Charlize Theron no less in The Long Shot. All kidding aside this flimflam fun fantasy scores well on the romantic comedy front thanks to EOne Entertainment. Try to catch this flick in select mainstream Theatres across B.C, before it heads to the smaller circuit and ultimately DVDs and video on demand.
Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you. In Long Shot (and we’re not talking about the results of the recent Kentucky Derby here) Rogen stars as reporter extraordinaire Fred Flarsky. Let’s say this guy is a bit out there to begin with. Not exactly the kind of guy a budding politician would add to their team just somehow Flarsky catches the attention of the American Secretary of State no less. Taking a page out of a recent television hit series South African national treasure Charlize Theron (Battle in Seattle) plays Secretary of State Charlotte Field. Against the better judgment of her campaign team Flarsky is signed on as a speech writer for the talented politician and before you know it, we’re off to the races with a whirlwind romance in the offing. Talk about a far-fetched story but somehow Theron and Rogen pull it off. Let’s just say Ms. Theron is a sport for putting up with the story line and some of Rogen’s patented adolescent humour.
Political junkies will get a kick out of this mismatched love affair and there is chemistry between the two leads which makes Long Shot a refreshing romantic summertime diversion.(By Robert Waldman)