Long Shot

“Long Shot openly acknowledges racial bias using a tone that edges toward satire. However, there is no real attempt at a remedy.”

Title: Long Shot (2019)
Director: Jonathan Levine 👨🏼🇺🇸
Writers: Dan Sterling 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Liz Hannah 👩🏼🇺🇸

Reviewed by Jonita 👩🏾🇺🇸

Note: This review was commissioned by Lionsgate. The content and methodology remain 100% independent and in line with Mediaversity's non-commissioned reviews.

Technical: 4/5

Romantic comedy Long Shot pokes fun at the genre but stops just short of satire, allowing an effective romance to emerge that also doesn’t take itself too seriously. With a cohesive and entertaining narrative, the story follows the U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) and journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) as they whip around the globe during Charlotte’s campaign run for president. She initially hires Fred as her speechwriter, but soon he becomes much more to her: He challenges Charlotte to be her authentic self not only in private, but in the public eye too.

A typical Rogen character, Fred comes off as weird and awkward, a crass man that women tend to avoid. Some may find his antics cringeworthy, such as when he’s caught masturbating to a video of Charlotte’s speech. However, Charlotte sees Fred as someone who remains true to himself—a rarity in politics. Ultimately, Long Shot comes together despite its quirks, resulting in an engaging film.

Gender: 3.75/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES

Long Shot offers social commentary on modern-day issues, most notably those pertaining to gender. Early on, we observe Charlotte using a homemade anti-aging trick: a cold spoon to clear up under-eye sag. Later, in a meeting, she is told over and over again that her chances at the presidency would be great if she was a man. Throughout its entirety, director Jonathan Levine reveals the challenges a woman faces while working in government, and it’s rewarding to watch Charlotte overcome such challenges.

While the film is told primarily from her point of view, we also get to meet her assistant Maggie (June Diane Raphael). Unfortunately, we don’t learn a whole lot about Maggie outside of the work she does for the Secretary of State, but she does strike up an affair with fellow staffer Tom (Ravi Patel). While not the most creative of subplots, it does give Maggie a tiny bit more dimension beyond simply being Charlotte’s assistant.

All in all, Long Shot gives Charlotte ample development and respect. But it’s hard to escape the sense that her character was crafted deliberately to rebut existing stereotypes. As viewers get to know Charlotte, we do so by learning what she isn’t. Campaign consultant Katherine (Lisa Kudrow) details every way that Charlotte is “not like other women”—she has no husband and she doesn’t smile enough—while Fred continuously points out her public persona isn’t who she really is. By the time we’ve grasped just who Charlotte is supposed to be, her character feels whittled down and defined by the voices around her, and by the political situation of being constantly compared to male presidential candidates. She stands as the leading protagonist of the film, yes. But Long Shot ends just before Charlotte gets the opportunity to stretch into a fully developed character.

Race: 2.25/5

Some may find the film’s opening scene triggering: Embedded with white supremacists, Fred suffers half a swastika tattooed on his arm and a leg injury before barely escaping. The film fails to plant useful information here, using the lone Jewish journalist embedded with racists as a catchy hook that pokes fun at online media journalists. Nothing significant to the story takes place, rendering the uncomfortable material largely unnecessary. I suppose we should be glad there were no n-words uttered, at least.

As for the rest of the film, Long Shot continues with a cast of predominantly white actors (and is even whiter behind the scenes.) The first character of color with any dialogue is Korean American Randall Park in an unnamed role listed only as “Boss” in the credits. He provides the catalyst for Fred’s meeting with Charlotte, which is important but stands as Park’s only scene in the entire film.

Both the white leads have people of color as their confidants. These characters are not well developed. Charlotte’s staffer Tom (Patel, who is Indian American) has no backstory of his own and is defined by his romance with Maggie. Fred’s best friend Lance (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) has a little more to do, but feels largely defined by his Blackness. He even serves as a “racism detector,” pointing out that the party they’re attending is mostly white. At the same party Lance gets mistaken for a member of the band Boyz II Men, who have been hired to perform. The joke might aim for satire, but without any further development, it just feels shallow. Similarly, the script also hints at Lance’s conservative and religious stances but only mines them for shock value, rather than adding anything to his development.

All of the characters in Long Shot openly acknowledge the racial imbalance and bias as a part of the tone that edges toward satire. However, there is no real attempt at a remedy.

Bonus for Body Diversity: +0.75

The many body types featured in the film include Fred, who is not the stereotypical leading man in a rom-com. He is fat, unlike the heavily muscled norm. The extras in every scene range in body types and sizes, surrounding slender Charlotte with a touch of real life.

Bonus for Age: +0.25

The first time we see Charlotte’s character, she is reluctantly attacking wrinkles with a cold spoon. She soon gives up the struggle and uses the spoon to eat ice cream. Throughout the film, she tackles issues like aging and other landmines that women in leadership positions must dance around in order to succeed. It feels positive to see Charlotte never succumbing to such unfair standards.

Mediaversity Grade: B- 3.67/5

Long Shot attacks so much yet itself misses some key social cues, like giving Randall Park’s character a pivotal role but no name in the credits. Still, the film lays bare many of the gender stereotypes in politics, calls out racial bias, and gives viewers a romance that defies rom-com tropes. In that respect, Long Shot takes a step in the right direction.

Like Long Shot? Try these other Charlize Theron movies.

Grade: BLiMarch 9, 2019Great for: Body Diversity