OBSERVE AND REPORT is a disturbing, thought-provoking must-see... but not for everybody

[thehefner]

Well now. I'd heard some people say that the new Seth Rogan film OBSERVE AND REPORT wasn't accurately marketed, but that's a massive understatement.

Good lord, that was an excellent but deeply unsettling movie.

It's not at all surprising that it's gotten such mixed reviews, but my favorite joyless bastard, Devin from CHUD.com gave it a rare 10

Comments

[angrylemur]

If there's a laugh to be had in that scene, it's only a laugh of nervous relief, and even that sounds horrible to say. Trust me, it's ALL about context, because this is not a character with whom we're ever asked to sympathize. Even if he fools other people into thinking that he's the hero he thinks he is, we the audience know better.

Oh! Well, that makes it totally fine to laugh at a woman being raped, then. After all, rape is all about context. And the punchline is that she really wanted it anyway, she was asking for it. What a relief

[thehefner]

I never, ever said that.

I never said it was okay. It's no more okay here than it was in, say, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. And those that say it is okay fall into that last category I mention, the idiots who see ORANGE and TAXI DRIVER as role model movies.

I didn't laugh, by the way. But then, I didn't laugh at much anything in the film, because I found it all disturbing.

[angrylemur]

I don't think I'm saying what you think I'm saying you said. Wait, what? Agh.

What I was responding to:

"But if you're that special kind of viewer, the kind who likes to be challenged, who likes to go places sane people avoid, who thinks transgression isn't just desirable but also kind of hilarious, Observe and Report might be your favorite movie of the year."

He sums up my thoughts pretty well...The other thing I was responding to I quoted directly from you

[thehefner]

Okay, whew.

Well, that's ultimately what I'm also wondering too. How much does the movie ultimately trivialize or even glorify Ronnie's actions? Maybe other people aren't thinking about that, but I certainly am, and responses like this just make me want to dissect this film all the more. Because one way or another, for good or bad, this is a film that gets under one's skin. It's a very troubling film on a number of levels, but I don't know if that's a bad thing.

[angrylemur]

Oh, it definitely trivializes rape. What are the consequences of Rogen's character raping Brandi? Not just for him, but for her as well. The fact that the punch line of the scene is her waking up to reveal that she really wanted it all along - what kind of a message is that supposed to send

[thehefner]

The problem is, there are no consequences for any of the horrible things he does. Which is kind of the point, I think. That's the thing, it ties into the picture as a whole.

But that depiction of Brandi also ties into what I mentioned earlier, the question of how much of it is from Ronnie's sick fascist POV: how much of it is his fantasy, and by extension, how much (if any) does the film itself endorse? And if it doesn't at all, what does it say about the audience members who think that it does? But yeah, I do worry about the messages the film sends to certain people.

I probably shouldn't have co-opted the whole "challenging" bit, or at least been more considerate and careful with it. I get carried away in my zeal to try and get even a handful of people interested in seeing it. Because I think it DOES deserve to be seen, and discussed for what it is, for good or ill.

[little_dinosaur]

I haven't seen it, but how are you degraded or belittled by a film made by people who don't know who you are? Remember that the filmmakers and the reviewers are separate groups of people, and you can't confuse the claims of the reviewers regarding the audience with the intentions of the filmmakers, even if they turn out to be close.

[angrylemur]

How would I feel degraded or belittled by a film that trivializes rape?

Sorry, I'm generally not willing go there for random strangers who decide that they need me to justify my reactions to them.

[little_dinosaur]

That's right, you don't know my lj name. Hi, I'm Sam. Remember me?