A Masterpiece
Written: Jun 01 '09 (Updated Jun 08 '09)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: It doesn't sugar coat a mall cop's job.
Cons: Profanity, debauchery, nudity.
The Bottom Line: Surprisingly potent plot with a couple great performances amid other good ones.
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| topreviewerman's Full Review: Observe and Report |
Forest Ridge Mall is assaulted by a flasher. A TV reporter interviews head of mall security Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) who quickly establishes himself as lead investigator shoving aside police Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta)—who would rather not be bothered with it. Harrison's prank on the overeager mall cop falls flat, so we're deprived of comic relief from an unsympathetic main character. A repeat flasher performance targets cosmetics girl Brandi (Anna Faris) who steals the show as the consummate blond bimbo, but we lose our sympathy for her as well, for setting feminism back a hundred years. Neither does Ronnie's alcoholic mother nor his criminal friend redeem him. In the end if he gets any breaks in his investigation, it's in the sense of a stopped clock being right twice a day, and were it not for the guy he's after being a pervert, we'd likely be rooting for him rather than for Ronnie. Give me Paul Blart any day.
Since it wasn't bad acting that spoiled the movie—all of which was good and some excellent—this poor reviewer is left with the task of trying to rehabilitate the plot. As I was waiting for the bus today, a young lady came hobbling by on crutches, her foot all bandaged up. I asked her about it, then demonstrated a rehabilitation technique to strengthen an atrophied calf muscle. She thanked me but said she knows that stuff from having been a gymnast. Of course, gymnasts know all about exercising muscle groups in order to perform all their seemingly gravity-defying feats. It could be there's a lot more to the plot than I'd been giving it credit for, the writer (Jody Hill) having an intricate plan she followed.
Let's take the Bible, not even from a religious standpoint necessarily, but just as good literature. Or, how about the book of Psalms which is right in the middle of the Bible. There are 150 of them, Psalm 75 being right in the center. Anyone familiar with that psalm will be able to recognize it being played out in Observe and Report. Now we're like the physicist looking at stars and seeing nothing in the center of our galaxy, until he realizes he's looking at a black hole. Very interesting. Such is the way "Observe and Report" is done, first establishing an extreme condition where life sucks (the black hole) and then the gravity defying escape from it.
There are only ten verses in psalm 75, so I'll just go through them and we shall see. (Verse 1.) "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare." "Observe and Report" doesn't start by thanking and praising God, but then it wasn't billed as a religious flick, so that's okay. It does, however, start with a soundtrack playing The Band's version of "When I Paint My Masterpiece," Josh Turner, which corresponds well enough to "thy wondrous works" (verse 1), that we'll consider them cued in together.
(Verse 2.) "When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly." The psalm was actually written by the righteous king Asa, but here it can be applied to head of mall security Ronnie who for all his faults does have it in him to look after the interests of the mall—"I am gettin' God's work done." Asa prayed for God to help the powerless, (2 Chr. 14:11a) "And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power:" somewhat along the lines of what Ronnie needed, but without the reference to God.
The next two verses are attributed to being spoken by God. (Verses 3-4.) "The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn." The inhabitants of the earth being dissolved, that would correspond to the outright social disorder observed in the mall throughout the movie. A preacher might be able to better explain it. I quote from page 75 of the autobiography of Jed Smock, Who Will Rise Up? [© 1985, Used by permission.]
One graduate student said to me, "Brother Jed, we have …
always wanted to ask you why the students behave as they do
when you preach to them. Normally, they aren't that bad. We
recognize that they are sinners, but usually they aren't as gross,
lewd and disrespectful as they are when you preach. We can't
figure out their behavior. We room, eat and study with them.
Usually they aren't like that. Could you explain their behavior?"
"Yes, I can. Your sinner is like a garbage can," I replied.
"Basically, there are two types of sinners. One is represented
by a garbage can which is painted nicely, is without a dent and
always has its lid on. This is your sinner who has actually come
to college to get an education and does not spend his substance
in revelling and riotous living. The second sinner is represented
by a can in which the paint is chipped, with dents on the side
and a lid that is often ajar. This represents most students who
have come to college because it's a good place to party while
someone else foots the bill. He spends his time in drunkenness
and debauchery. Both sinners try to keep the lids on their cans
because they want to leave the impression that they are
basically good people. They try to cover their sins. The first
sinner is much more conscientious about covering his sins than
the second, but both cans are filled with garbage. Their sin is
always present with them."
I continued, "You might call me 'God's garbage man.' I
come in the power of the Holy Spirit and, with the law of God,
pull the lids off their cans. All the stench and stink of sin comes
fuming out. As God's garbage man, I make a lot of noise and
commotion. Finally, I take the water of the Gospel and hose
them out. Gentlemen, you are seeing the students for what they
truly are, but most of the time they cover up their rottenness."
There are basically two kinds of people in a mall: those there to work or shop, and those who just need a place to hang out. Both keep a lid on their "drunkenness and debauchery" to try to appear as good people, but the movie exposes them for "revelry and riotous living." In the words of Ronnie's mom, "You can polish a turd, but it's still a piece of sh_t."
One of the "pillars" (vs. 3) of the earth, a pillar of society, that God "bears up" is delicatessen worker Nell who is saving sex for marriage. Technically, she tells Ronnie, she is a "born again virgin." God is able to make a person clean, a pillar. In the movie she even looks and acts like a pillar. She has a big round hat that covers her hair, and she remains stationary through most of the plot, being immobilized by her foot in a cast.
God tells the fools not to deal foolishly (verse 4), and we see plenty of examples of that, not the least by Ronnie the mall cop. "And to the wicked," God said, "Lift not up the horn." This is a biblical expression meaning don't get on a power trip, as animals were seen to fight with their horns. Today we use horn the same way but as a verb, as we see Ronnie trying to horn in on Detective Harrison's investigation—"I'm in charge of this case."
Now we get the psalmist saying the next two verses, which are at the center in the middle psalm of the book in the center of the Bible. (Verses 5-6.) "Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south." This corresponds perfectly to the central scene in the whole movie, and one can understand a lot about it just from that one scene. Detective Harrison has Ronnie on a "ride along," the first step to becoming a police officer. After passing several suspicious activities, Harrison arrives at "the crossroads," which, he tells Ronnie, used to be the most dangerous place in the city, but now it's been cleaned up, although they still patrol it. As a measure of confidence in Ronnie, Harrison allows him to get out of the car to do a patrol of it. But looks can be deceiving. Remember that black hole? You don't see anything there, but it's a very dangerous place to be.
Ronnie soon finds himself surrounded by a very territorial gang, where he can't horn his way out of it with a stiff neck (stubbornness) as he's done in the mall. Furthermore, as he looks around, to the east, west, south, wherever, there is no backup. Whether he survives depends on whether he can speak from a posture of humility.
That's basically how the whole movie goes. Ronnie is on some kind of power trip—he wants to be called officer rather than mall guard—and so stiff necked he can't modify his behavior even when it's in his best interest. He's looking for advancement in status—"There's no shame in going after your dreams"—in all directions where there is no help: Brandi is not the girl to curtail his inappropriate behavior—"Don't f___ing stop!"—but gets him to go off his bipolar medication. His alcoholic mother (Celia Weston)—"I'm drunk"—suggests "The White House could be the next step," but her slogging down beers all day is not going to impress the press. His second in command security guard Dennis (Michael Peña) offers to instruct him but only succeeds in making him a partner in crime big time. Detective Harrison, he thinks is on his side but only treats him as a joke, especially with the psychological evaluation for the police force. There is not help for advancement either from the north, south, east, or west, and he himself has all the wrong attitudes.
(Verse 7.) "But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." The good news for Ronnie is that while the audience has long since lost all sympathy for him, God is able to undertake on his behalf, and willing once Ronnie's attitude gets changed around.
(Verse 8.) "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them." This speaks of a very dramatic judgment of the wicked, and indeed the flasher gets painted red in the end. It's a warning to all. Most perversions, people wouldn't want to imitate anyway. Flashing/streaking is the exception where some do take off in imitation. Not in this mall, though. Not after they see what happens to that flasher.
(Verse 9.) "But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob." Nell is pretty happy that things are working out well for her, especially with Ronnie on her side.
(Verse 10.) "All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." God seems to give power and credit to the right person in the end.
"Observe and Report" is the kind of movie that makes me want to see the ones that get negative reviews. Sometimes the critics miss a masterpiece for not knowing how to peg it. Paul Blart was the American dream embodied in a mall cop of good character who through patience, perseverance and opportunity was able to come out on top. Ronnie, however, started with the wrong attitude and didn't have help from any direction. It's not a fulfill-the-American-dream movie. And we couldn't lower ourselves to laugh at his situation. It just wasn't funny. His moves on Brandi weren't any that men should aspire to. This movie has all the makings of a bomb, especially if the critics have their way.
That is not going to happen, at least not in my review. So it's not a great movie or even a good movie in terms of mass appeal. It's sure not a classic in the sense of retaining an appeal through multiple generations. But what it is turns out to be a masterpiece if one has the taste to appreciate it. If, say, you think "Pulp Fiction" is one of the greatest movies ever made, then your movie viewing experience would be impoverished if you don't go see "Observe and Report."
In terms of music, I would liken it to Tammy Wynette, "I Don't Wanna Play House" which was about a kid who doesn't want to act like mommy and daddy for the way they treat each other. I once had a paranoid friend who was worried I was a cop because I wore a surplus USAF greatcoat. One day I found a state policeman's hat with badge in front. I thought I could really spook him if I wore that hat. Then I remembered reading in the paper of a state cop who stopped a motorist only to be shot at. A picture showed where a bullet went through the lip of his hat. I got to thinking that people who wore that hat get shot at. Suddenly my theme became "I don't wanna play cop" as I returned it to the police station.
Seeing Ronnie's power trip and obsession in "Observe and Report" is not going to make one wish to identify with him, but rather think, "I don't wanna play mall cop." It doesn't make one want to emulate the police as a good action flick might, but it comes off like a sad country song which a lot of people aren't into. However, like a gymnast who defies gravity, impossibly the film strikes just the right note at the end, for someone whose interest might include being a mall cop, one who could for the right reason use pseudo-deadly force.
I rated it with five stars because as long as we're not looking at it for something it's not (comedy, action, romance), in the category where it does belong (other) it succeeds, and the acting was good to excellent. It's understandable, though, if people change the station when the country songs come on, or they don't like the sad ones. A five star other can be a one star whatever.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: None of the Above
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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Epinions.com ID:
topreviewerman
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Member: Earl Gosnell
Location: Eugene, OR
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
BSEE, U. of Cincinnati. Ordained minister, United Congregation of Friends. Poet Laureate, Longfellow, Colorado.
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