The Interview (2014) Review!!

Synopsis – Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport run the celebrity tabloid show “Skylark Tonight.” When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

My Take – This movie has been in news for so long, well thanks to North Korea, who at 1st warned the release of the film as “an act of war”, & then hacked Sony (literally). Well after initially announcing the non release of this film, Sony sold the distribution rights to YouTube & Google Play. Personally I think Sony should be thankful to North Korea, to help marketing a film like never seen before. About the film – well its pretty much in the same lines of comedy we expect from a Seth Rogen film, they are enormously intelligent, yet also full of dick jokes, racist comments & homophobic humor. But whether anyone would agree or not, according to me the quality of his films just keeps getting better. The story follows TV host Dave Skylark (James Franco) and producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) who run the celebrity show “Skylark Tonight” who land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un (Randall Park), hence get recruited by the CIA agent (Lizzy Caplan) to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

As soon as they land the mission to kill off Kim Jung goes awry immediately and the film heads into territory that you will not expect. Directors Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg have clearly aimed the film at a younger generation. The screenplay is incredibly sarcastic and crude, and if you don’t like that kind of humor you probably won’t like the movie. It’s the type of humor Neighbors, This Is The End, Zoolander, and Anchorman movies have. The sarcastic, over-the-top humor that Rogan and Franco love to use in their movies was spot on. From the opening to the ending scene, the film just kept me laughing. Yes, it would have been easy to make this a fictional dictator, but keeping it real makes the film relevant and even important. Too many people turn their eyes away from this important topic. Not only is a comedy the best way to discuss such the horrors of totalitarianism in a mainstream way, it may be the only way. Even though the misery of the North Koreans is satirized without any dark scenes its in the humor we could see the message. Its pretty obvious why the North Koreans would be offended by this film, this may actually just be a funny portrayal, but it really takes home the perspective on how the North Korean wants people to see themselves as. Even though the movie is fairly mild for Western audiences, but if the people of North Korea saw this film, they might just start a revolt as the movie suggests. The concept itself, would raise eye-brows & the sequences involving the dictator, are quite shocking, even though its told in all good humor. Even the excessive violence in the narrative may puts off for some people.

Among the performances Seth Rogen is bit more restrained than his usual self (for a change) & gets to play a comparatively serious role. The real star of the show surprisingly is James Franco. He is a complete riot. His over-the-top, loud performance as the self-obsessed TV-Anchor, brings the house down on numerous occasions. Lizzy Caplan is first-rate. Randall Park is another topper as the megalomaniac dictator. His scenes with Franco, are truly funny. Diana Bang is stupendous, she unknowingly steals the show! On the whole ‘The Interview’ is quite a joyride! Seth Rogen’s story, is nicely complimented by a mostly laugh-out-loud screenplay. There are moments of pure hilarity, as well as moments involving shocking dialogue. Despite the doomed controversy surrounding it, directors Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg have given us a one of the coolest & funniest film of 2014, that deserved a wider release. Its limited release may restrict its appeal, but I’d suggest anyone who wants to laugh hard, should check this one out. Highly Recommended!!