Comedy is very hard. Setting the proper comedic tone as well as timing is far more difficult than it is given credit for. Even with talented people involved, sometimes things just don’t work out. The Bronze is one such example. This crude comedy just doesn’t hit the right pitch and its story plays out in too conventional a manner.
Set in Ohio, the plot follows ex-Olympian and Bronze medalist Hope Annabelle Greggory (Melissa Rauch). Unemployed and living with her father Stan (Gary Cole), she spends her days wandering in her old Olympic tracksuit and demanding freebies wherever she goes. When her old Coach passes away, she receives a strange offer. If Hope agrees to train promising local gymnast Maggie (Haley Lu Richardson), she will inherit her coach’s $500,000 estate. The protagonist begins training the girl with the help of failing gym co-owner Ben (Thomas Middleditch). However, it becomes obvious (at least to the audience) that she is sabotaging the girl’s efforts.
The concept is a simple one. On TV, Hope was a baby-faced national hero, but out of the spotlight, she’s an egotistical, foul-mouthed woman-child who has yet to mature or move on. So much of the humor involves the lead acting out in completely inappropriate ways. Specific moments include masturbating to old videos of herself during competitions, having tantrums and screaming insults at her father, as well as rudely dismissing any locals she encounters.
Taboos may be broken, but it’s all handled in a blunt and obvious manner. The characters are broad and one-note; frankly, there isn’t a hint of subtlety. Hope is certainly unlikable, but at times she is so dim that she can’t comprehend turns of phrase, even those related to her own profession. It’s difficult to buy into this kind of arrested development. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Ben and Maggie characters are so simple, good-natured and utterly clueless that they don’t come off as any more believable.
This would all be forgivable if the events were more outrageous or if the gags played better. Admittedly, a few of Hope’s blue lines do earn a chuckle, as does an off-color comment made during a live TV interview. And Ben is likable enough as the tick-ridden love interest. While viewers are unlikely to understand what he could possibly see in Hope, the character has a couple of awkwardly funny reactions to the vulgarity that he witnesses.
Additionally, there’s an over-the-top, gymnastic sex scene between two characters that’s outrageous enough to earn a smile. There are only a half dozen snickers over the course of the 108 minute running time, leaving very lengthy segments of insults and screams that completely miss the mark.
In the end, the tale doesn’t offer any surprises, and the odd romantic pairing is ultimately handled in a rather dull and conventional manner. I admire what the talented performers were attempting in The Bronze. However, it just didn’t work for me and isn’t likely to earn a medal with paying moviegoers either.