THE INTERVIEW Review

There are only a handful of good movies that depict the frivolity of news shows, which under the pretension of being real journalism mask the idiocy of people who make a living twisting, turning and stretching the truth. The interview, although could be seen as an allegory of the mentioned tabloid, tell-all celebrity shows -fortunately for all of us who want to have a laugh- is more than that.

The title “The Interview” feels grand, something we can also say of its main poster displaying the main protagonists as two very important people above everything else: national flags, tanks, dictators, etc. However, make no mistake, these two guys get it. I have to admit I was no fan of James Franco and Seth Rogen’s collaborations, but they really nailed it this time.

The movie feels very fresh, it’s bold, daring, non-political, unpretentious, and above all, extremely funny which makes for a very hearty comedic pot. It doesn’t take itself seriously, or pretend to be dealing with serious national security matters, but at the same time, it goes beyond the popcorn flick to strike quite a perfect balance between the ridiculous and the cleverly funny. I think it’s that healthy dose of self-awareness, not to mention the number of pop-culture references we can all identify with, that makes it stand on its own feet as a very worthy piece of entertainment.

You can tell that the two off-screen best buddies in comedy are very invested in this project and have been successfully able to transfer their chemistry to their on-screen characters naturally. Of the two however, the most interesting character is that of the host of the show. There’s no other way to describe James Franco’s turn as Dave Skylark but hilarious. He definitely steals the show and his performance is in a way almost meta. His lines flow naturally with his nuances, at times quirky, others bluntly ignorant but all the more lovable. Note to self: have to watch him again interviewing his celeb guests!

A word of compliment has to be given also to the actors Randall Park and Diana Bang who play the secondary characters of the Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and officer Sook. The casting couldn’t have been more appropriate. They both have outstanding performances, very heartfelt and at the same time funny.

I would argue that the movie becomes more interesting and unpredictably funny as Skylark and Rapaport land in Pyongyang, unlike other comedies that all too often start strong and then fall flat.

The Interview’s script is overall well written, performances are solid across the board, and action and comedy go all the time hand-in-hand. That is how you make people laugh at the theater, or sadly in this case, in their homes .

In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show ‘Skylark Tonight.’ When they discover that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the most unlikely candidates, to ‘take out’ Kim Jong-un.