Formulaic movies are not inherently bad. They do, however, put a TON more pressure on their stars to charm the audience through them. You can have a by the numbers flick but as long as the writing is sharp and the actors are charismatic enough the results can be something new and fresh. Take Long Shot, a movie about Charlize Theron as the Secretary of State and Presidential nominee who falls in love with the kid she used to babysit that grew up to be a journalist played by Seth Rogen…you know, that old chestnut. Seriously though the schlubby guy gets super-hot chick has been played to death, the “Presidential hopeful” type character falls for the regular guy/girl has been all used up, and the journalist who unwittingly falls for his subject…also overdone. But this flick combines them ALL! Usually that would be said with extra snark but I have to be honest, I really dug the trailer. Charlize Theron is endlessly charming and I would watch her read a stereo’s owners manual. Seth Rogen is the most relate-able “every-man” character working today and is never not fun to watch. The result is a pretty standard rom-com that, I feel, is going to rise above….even if just a bit.
Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think!
