"Long Shot" (⋆⋆½; R) reverses the usual rom-com genders. Charlize Theron is buttoned-up Secretary of State Charlotte Field. Seth Rogen is lovably rumpled stoner Fred Flarsky, whom Field hires as a speechwriter. The setup works — he's a fish out of water in high-stakes political circles, and she wishes she could escape that water occasionally. The jokes are sharp. Their pairing is unexpected enough to make the film feel fresh. It's when they try to make romance work that the movie falls apart.

Chris Hewitt

Also coming Tuesday

"Body at Brighton Rock"

"Domino"

"El Chicano"

"The Hot Zone"

"The Intruder"