Despite being relatively racy and dark in subject matter for a mainstream comedy, “The Interview” might have disappeared into the annals of history if not for North Korea blasting the Sony Entertainment Network with enough cyberpunk hacking attacks to make the corporation pull the film from theaters. But, of course, anyone with even a little foresight could see why this would just make a martyr of the whole affair.
All publicity is good publicity, right? And if people can’t get something, well, they’re probably just going to want to see it more.
The premise has James Franco playing Dave Skylark, host of the talk show Skylark Tonight, a trashy or E! Dateline-style affair. Seth Rogen plays Aaron Rapoport, the senior producer of the program. In an attempt to be seen as doing more serious journalism, the pair manage to secure an on-camera interview with supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un. Then the opportunistic CIA show up and ask the two man-children to assassinate the leader.
Hijinks ensue.
Honestly, you’ll probably know if you’ll like it before you even see it. If you like the Franco/Rogen comedies, you’ll like this one. If you don’t, “The Interview” isn’t going to change anything for you. It’s crass and silly, full of man love, and occasionally violent and action-packed. It’s not overly creative or challenging. But I laughed a few times.
The best and most clever sequence easily in the film involved the opening scene with Eminem playing himself. But nothing else in the movie really ever reclaims that kind of imagination. There are numerous cameos throughout the film, most from so-called “news entertainment” industry. But they hardly add much overall other than a quick, “Oh hey. I don’t usually see that person in movies.”
“The Interview” doesn’t do much with its premise. Likely the subject matter was chosen the same way it was approached: simply trying to pick at whatever contemporary taboos seem the most off-limits.
Mostly the film attempts to be carried by the charisma and chemistry of Franco’s fool and Rogen’s straight man. Kim Jong-un himself is played by American actor Randall Park. His scenes with Franco are easily another high point of the film. Park is a capable and compelling actor and his presentation of Kim Jong-un is most interesting since he lacks the many cartoonish qualities of everything else in the film.
That’s “The Interview.” Did you like “Pineapple Express?” Did you like “This Is the End?” If you did, you’ll like “The Interview.” If not, you probably won’t get anything from it.
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