This issue, I take a look at two films that offer far more than what we can see on the surface.

Observe and Report

(R, Now available)

From this film's trailer, it looked as though Seth Rogen's Ronnie Barnhardt was going to be a lovable if somewhat self-important schlub. A good guy who's simply misunderstood by those around him and unfairly maligned for being a mall cop. What writer-director Jody Hill gives us however, is the story of a deeply disturbed and delusional individual who has absolutely no business being in a position of authority, no matter how small.

This marketing bait and switch was clearly designed by someone at the studio to sell more tickets, but this is a film that probably has more in common with "Taxi Driver" than any of Rogen's own earlier work. That's not to say this isn't a comedy, but don't expect it to be "Paul Blart" with a "Superbad" sensibility.

Ronnie is the head of mall security at a New Mexico shopping center that has just been terrorized by a chubby flasher. When he comes after mall employee Brandi (Anna Faris), it becomes Ronnie's personal mission to capture and yes, kill the flasher. He even says so in a profanity-laced tirade on the local news. But as a simple mall security guard, Ronnie has limited resources and gets no respect from Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta), who rightly tells Ronnie to stay away from the investigation.

Now in addition to the flasher, there's also a burglar arriving in the night. Ronnie will not let this stand. Meanwhile, he applies for a job at the police department, much to Harrison's aggravation.

In between violent, brutal outbursts, Ronnie courts Brandi, but this is hardly a sweet budding relationship. Ronnie's creepy and Brandi is about as stuck up and self-obsessed as a person can be. It's a credit to Rogen and Faris as actors that they don't try to make these people likable or more cuddly. They get what Hill is going for here.

This tone works well for many of their scenes together, but not everything comes off. In many scenes, particularly the more violent ones, Hill seems to be unsure of what he wants. Does he want us to laugh at Ronnie and Dennis (Michael Pena) beating kids with night sticks or does he want us to be horrified? In his seeming indecision, he tries to have it both ways and the result is that we don't really feel anything.

For all of its flaws, I still liked "Observe and Report." It's a very interesting film and Rogen proves he's able to stretch as an actor. There is some good work from the supporting cast as well. Pena is unrecognizable as the guy from "Crash" and "World Trade Center," and Jesse Plemons ("Friday Night Lights") and Collette Wolfe are both very good, though sadly underused.

"Observe and Report" shows us a man that we sympathize with, even if we would never want to be in the same room with him. There's something to be said for that. Just don't expect the laugh-fest you were promised. 7/10.

Away We Go

(R, Avail. 9/29)

It can be easy to forget that life is an adventure. This seems especially true for people who are about to have a child, as they feel their sense of freedom will be gone forever. But Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) see an adventure that is just beginning and, like two people about to embark on any true adventure, they have no idea where they're going.

The ever optimistic Burt is excited for the arrival of their daughter as he "cobbles" (whittling, really) in the mornings, hoping to impart a love of making things to the child. Still, the couple has no sense of home, and with Verona's parents deceased and Burt's moving to Europe (played by Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara in a very funny scene), the young couple decides to seek out their own home and their own future. They travel from city to city, meeting friends all the way from Phoenix to Montreal, hoping to find the perfect place to raise their little girl. The friends in these cities are couples at various stages and decidedly different levels of happiness. In them Burt and Verona see what their futures could possibly bring.

"Away We Go" is the fifth film from Sam Mendes and the first one that doesn't feel bred to be an awards contender. Having said that, it's probably his best since his debut (a little movie called "American Beauty") and more deserving of Oscar consideration than the bleak "Revolutionary Road." Burt and Verona are the couple that "Road's" Frank and April didn't have the courage to be.

As the couple, Krasinski and Rudolph are absolutely terrific. Krasinski has been great on "The Office," but the films he's appeared in thus far (the abysmal "License to Wed" and the disappointing "Leatherheads") haven't given him the opportunity to show what he can really do. Rudolph does a wonderful job and is a long way from struggling through a poor "SNL" sketch as the weary Verona.

The screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida gives the pair plenty to work with. From Burt and Verona's stops along the way, we are shown more and more how uncertain the future really is, but there is an overwhelming sense that these two are going to be okay and, what's more, we are genuinely happy to believe that.

"Away We Go" is a film full of colorful characters, many of whom could have come off as caricatures or as cartoonish in the wrong hands. Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Paul Schneider (among others) make their brief appearances memorable, but Mendes, Eggers, and Vida wisely keep the film's focus on Burt and Verona. This is a wonderful movie that should not be missed. 10/10.

Questions or comments? Contact Bob Connally at [email protected].

Also New to DVD and Blu-Ray

Now Available:
Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 2
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (PG-13)
30 Rock - Season 3


9/29:
How I Met Your Mother - Season 4
The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition)
Monsters vs. Aliens (PG)
Shrink (R)