Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron prove a winning pair in this gut-busting comedy with a surprising amount of political content.
Theron plays Charlotte Field, the US Secretary of State planning a bid for the presidency now that her boss, a TV actor turned president (played hilariously by Bob Odenkirk) isn't seeking a second term because he wants to try and make the leap from TV to movies. Rogen is Fred Flarsky, a muckraking journalist who is laid off when a nefarious media titan (played by an unrecognisable Andy Serkis under a tonne of makeup) purchases the website he works for.
Following a chance encounter at a society shindig, Charlotte, who used to babysit Fred when he was 13, hires her former charge to be her new speech writer. Sparks begin to fly between the pair, much to the horror of Charlotte's staff.
Although the marketing for Long Shot plays up the supposed attractiveness disparity between Theron and Rogen, it's a topic the film has little interest in exploring, refreshingly. The frisson between Fred and Charlotte comes from their conflicting personalities. There is tangible, highly cinematic chemistry between the actors.
Although it's all very heightened, a clear effort has been made here to push the old rom-com tropes aside and make something that reflects how potential romantic partners actually behave around each other.
