That's a quote from one of the minor characters in Observe and Report, the second feature from Jody Hill and starring Seth Rogen as Ronnie Barnhardt, a Bi-polar mall security guard. This film suffers from an uncomfortable edge; at times it treats Ronnie and the film's world like a cartoon where anything can happen for a laugh, at other times though, dark, unfunny, sometimes painfully sad reality steps in, as when Ray Liotta (not stretching much acting abilities as a exceedingly angry police detective) shouts straight in Ronnie's face or when Ronnie learns he cannot become a police officer. Hill (who also wrote the film) seams to want to use Ronnie's mental issues as both comedic fodder and a tool to twist our emotions when he feels it is necessary. The film doesn't have the power or finesse to use Ronnie's problems these ways without making it feel uncomfortable and mean-spirited.
The cast is a mixed-bag as well. Rogen tries to balance Ronnie between a depressed average Joe and a total psycho and manages to pull off some pretty big laughs. Anna Faris is disappointing, forced to wear god-awful make-up and only having two or three really funny lines. Celia Weston has some funny bits as Ronnie's alcoholic mother, and their last scene together is one of the only scenes that finds a pleasant balance between sad and funny. Michael Pena is given a silly, underwritten role and speaks in a funny-at-first accent that gets old real fast.
While the film is uneven and often uncomfortable to watch, there are some really big laughs. Only about a third of the film is very funny, but each joke that works works well. The end chase scene, involving Ronnie and a pervert barreling through the mall set to "Where is My Mind" (a cover version by City Wolf) is hilarious and has a shockingly dark ending that, like Weston's final scene, balances sad and dark reality with humor.
So, if you go into this film expecting to laugh at a troubled man's misfortune, think again, it's actually kind of sad.
The cast is a mixed-bag as well. Rogen tries to balance Ronnie between a depressed average Joe and a total psycho and manages to pull off some pretty big laughs. Anna Faris is disappointing, forced to wear god-awful make-up and only having two or three really funny lines. Celia Weston has some funny bits as Ronnie's alcoholic mother, and their last scene together is one of the only scenes that finds a pleasant balance between sad and funny. Michael Pena is given a silly, underwritten role and speaks in a funny-at-first accent that gets old real fast.
While the film is uneven and often uncomfortable to watch, there are some really big laughs. Only about a third of the film is very funny, but each joke that works works well. The end chase scene, involving Ronnie and a pervert barreling through the mall set to "Where is My Mind" (a cover version by City Wolf) is hilarious and has a shockingly dark ending that, like Weston's final scene, balances sad and dark reality with humor.
So, if you go into this film expecting to laugh at a troubled man's misfortune, think again, it's actually kind of sad.