The Interview (2014) Reviews

Back in 2014, this movie made some major waves because it was making fun of North Korea and especially of its leader, Kim Jong-un. In fact, the whole thing got so out of hand that there were some threats and even some hacking going on against Sony and, as a result, they even postponed releasing the movie for a while. Basically, it was a huge mess and, after all these years, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, I think the concept of a moronic US TV personality interviewing the most infamous dictator in the world was pretty wild but it actually had some potential. And, indeed, the first part worked really well and was actually quite entertaining. Unfortunately, to get these guys involved in some assassination plan orchestrated by the CIA was such a misguided idea though and it pretty much completely derailed the whole thing, I’m afraid. It’s too bad because the interview itself seemed really surreal but, actually, not completely impossible. On top of that, to see Kim Jong-un completely manipulating Dave Skylark was just so intriguing and, again, actually fairly believable, and it would have been so interesting if they had continued in this direction. Unfortunately, it seems that the makers wanted to make sure that nobody could take the damned thing seriously and the best way to achieve this goal was to add this completely half-assed CIA plan. Seriously, even though it was supposed to be funny, it was just stupid and barely entertaining. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it still think it was bold to make a comedy about an actual dictactor who happens to be still alive and kicking and, only therefore, I think the damned thing is actually worth a look. 

A high-profile talk show host, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapaport (Rogen) have conquered the entertainment industry, consistently scoring high ratings from their interviews with various celebrities. After a thousand episodes, however, Aaron finds himself yearning to take on “real news,” and perhaps earn some respect from his peers. Learning that North Korean's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), is a fan of the show, Dave and Aaron are given the chance of a lifetime: an hour-long interview with the controversial dictator. The announcement draws attention from the C.I.A. though, with Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) requesting their help to assassinate the controversial political figure. But soon after touching down in the country, Dave finds himself bonding with Kim, prompting second thoughts about the plan. Aaron, meanwhile, gains an ally in the form of Sook (Diana Bang), a military official and propagandist working for the Supreme Leader.

Many of The Interview's detractors bemoan the lack of sophistication and political satire here, with Rogen and Goldberg content to fill the feature with dick jokes, drug trips, creative uses of profanity, and other infantile humour. But Dan Sterling's screenplay actually does more than it gets credit for - in one particularly astute exchange, Sook asks Aaron how many times the U.S. can make the same mistake, to which he replies "As many times as it takes!" The Interview also plays up several of the myths surrounding North Korea, some of which are hugely alarming. It's easy to see why Kim Jong-un and his people would find this feature offensive, though it still would've been nice to see the movie go even further - one must wonder if any material was cut from the final product in light of the tremendous controversy.

As with all comedies, not all of the laughs land, of course - it's especially grating to listen to the white actors talking like rappers. Furthermore, some scenes could have been tauter, such as the interview with Eminem which runs past its logical closure point. Nevertheless, I laughed more often than not, and the movie also makes side-splitting use of the Katy Perry song "Firework," which becomes a brilliant recurring joke. Rogen and Goldberg were aiming for a sophisticated visual style here that belies the project's comedic origins, collaborating with veteran comedy cinematographer Brandon Trost to give The Interview the look of a stylish espionage thriller. Lensed digitally, the results are to be commended, with shot compositions making brilliant use of shadows. Nobody can accuse The Interview of looking cheap. The climax here amounts to an extended action set-piece, and it's both hugely amusing and competently executed. Some of the violence is comically over-the-top, but, miraculously, it never grows too dark or mean-spirited - the madness is pitched at just the right tone.

Franco's performance is a mixed bag. He plays foolish well enough and he is amusing at times, but he's far too broad and often mugs the camera. One can only imagine what someone like Bill Murray could have done with the role, as he's capable of wonderfully dry line delivery. In fact, Murray would have been a great choice, as he has subtle, nuanced comedic chops that would've made the movie even funnier. Rogen, meanwhile, is pretty much Seth Rogen, leaning on all of his usual trademarks as a performer. More worthy of praise is Park's energetic portrayal of Kim Jong-un. Park had serious balls to play the dictator at all, but it's astonishing just how much he runs with it, turning the notorious Supreme Leader into a pothead who enjoys margaritas and Katy Perry music. Caplan is also mostly amusing, while Bang's performance as Sook is highly spirited.

High-concept R-rated comedies are becoming rarer and rarer, and while The Interview is not the home run that it might have been in defter hands, Rogen and Goldberg deserve credit for having the guts to mastermind a comedy of such brash political outrageousness. Other comedies these days like Sex Tape, Neighbors, Ride Along, Let's Be Cops, Dumb and Dumber To and The Internship mine the same old tired territory, thus The Interview has an inherent edge since it delves into more dangerous terrain. Best of all, it does so whilst remaining fun and light on its feet, rather than leaden and pretentious. It's not perfect, but I'll take it.

7.8/10