Seth Rogen: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
1. Ronnie - Observe And Report
Observe and Report is a fiercely dark comedy that never managed to find its audience when it initially came out. There is mental illness, borderline date rape and lengthy fight scenes that pay homage to Oldboy. It marches to its own beat and doesnt give a s**t about being politically correct.
Observe and Report centers on Ronnie (Rogen), a mall cop who takes his job way too seriously. He doesnt see himself as mall security, he seems himself a real cop, ready to kick ass and arrest people. When a flasher starts terrorizing the mall patrons with his penis, Ronnie takes it upon himself to stop the man at all costs. Some of the things that happen in this film are gloriously absurd, including a giant brawl between Ronnie and some real cops after Ronnie refuses to give up his post inside the mall.
In this role, Seth portrayed a character that was fiercely determined and somewhat deranged. Inside of him, however, was a really nice guy who just wanted to care for his mom and have a normal girlfriend. Ronnie is bipolar and certainly has mental issues, which helps endear him to the audience. Seth plays him with a sensitivity that never tries to poke fun at his condition. He wisely makes the choice to not play his state of mind for laughs and it works out in his favor. We care for the guy and Seth takes him to a whole different level. In another comedic actors hands, he wouldve been more of a goofball. Here, it makes him a fascinating character that we root for every step of the way.
Acting-wise, it's Seth Rogens finest moment thus far in his career. His character has a surprising amount of depth and Seth helps Ronnie avoid a huge amount of pitfalls that could have plagued this film. It's a daring role and very weighty for a comedy. It seems tailor-made to Seths unique sensibilities and showcases what he can pull off when he is completely engaged.
And now for 5 performances that sucked...