In Theaters: April 10, 2009

Reviews of Observe and Report and Anvil!: The Story of Anvil

Observe and Report
Directed by Jody Hill
Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Michael Peña and Ray Liotta
***

When that infamous red-band trailer for 2009’s second mall cop comedy Observe and Report surfaced online about a month ago, people knew to expect a comedy that was a little darker than previous Seth Rogen fare like Knocked Up and Zack and Miri Make a Porno.  But I don’t think anyone could have anticipated how dark this hard-R rated comedy from writer/director Jody Hill would be.  That’s because you’d never guess that a major studio would let Hill and Rogen get away with half of the shit they pull here.  Seriously, jokes about date rape?  A scene where Rogen attacks a bunch of teenage skaters and whups them with their own boards?  A climax involving full-frontal male nudity shot in glorious slow-motion?  You have to wonder what Warner Bros. execs thought when they saw the movie for the first time…and who might be fired if Observe and Report bombs at the box office.

Of course, I have a hard time believing that Hill and Rogen set out to make a massive hit in the first place.  If that were the case, they’d be using Paul Blart: Mall Cop as their inspiration instead—as they’ve stated in numerous interviews—Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.  Observe and Report feels like a movie that was conceived from the beginning to be a future cult classic and I’m sure the movie will attract a devoted following, particularly once it hits DVD.  Whether it deserves cult classic status is going to be a matter of intense debate.  In all honesty, I’m a bit conflicted myself.  There are scenes here that rank as some of the funniest moments I’ve seen all year and I admire how committed all of the actors are to their characters’ inherent nastiness.  Rogen delivers his best and most confident star turn to date and Anna Faris once again proves herself one of our reigning Queens of Comedy in a role that would have caused many other actresses to run screaming out of the casting room.

Unfortunately, it ends up being Hill who lets his cast and us in the audience down by pulling back from the edge at the very moment he should be plunging over it.  After admirably refusing to glorify Rogen’s actions for most of the movie, the climax ends up transforming this psychopath into some kind of hero, a leap that is tonally inconsistent with everything that’s come before.  As if that’s not unbelievable enough, he also finds love with a sweet, considerate girl, who, by all rights, should never have looked twice at him.  If Hill had stuck to his guns, Observe and Report could have been one of the all time great dark comedies.  As it is, it’s a twisted, daring movie that’s just not twisted or daring enough.

Verdict: See It

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Anvil!: The Story of Anvil
Directed by Sacha Gervasi
***

If you, like me, start watching Anvil!: The Story of Anvil not knowing a heck of a lot of about the early-’80s heavy metal scene, chances are you’ll find yourself wondering if this is another Spinal Tap-style mockumentary about a fake hair band.  But take a second to Google Anvil and you’ll discover that they actually are the real deal.  Even more amazingly, at one point in time they were among the most popular bands in the world and served as an inspiration for numerous metal acts that followed, including Metallica and Guns ‘n’ Roses.  Unfortunately, Anvil’s career peaked early and they were soon eclipsed by their descendents.  Still, co-founders Steve “Lips” Kudlow (lead vocals and guitar) and Robb Reiner (drummer) refused to abandon their rock star dreams and the band continued to perform live and record albums through the ’90s and into the new millennium.  Director Sacha Gervasi picks up their story in 2005, when Anvil mounts a European tour with an inexperienced road manager and enlists a skilled producer to oversee their comeback record.  While you may start out laughing at these now-50 year old rockers, by the end of the movie, you’ll likely find yourself cheering them on.  Their fierce commitment to their craft in the face of impossible odds is both inspiring and delusional at the same time.  Even if you know nothing about Anvil going into the theater, you might be a fan when you come out.

Verdict: See It