The Interview

So, let's strip away all the controversy behind The Interview.  Let's not look at the hacking scandal, or the various "talking heads" on cable news programs that have either come out for or against the film when it was initially announced to be canceled from its planned Christmas Day release.  Let's look at the film as the way it's intended - A very silly and slightly uneven comedy that, if it were more honest with itself, would be titled Harold and Kumar Go to North Korea.

The real question that needs to be answered here is is it a good movie, or even a funny one?  For me, the answers are kind of and yes, in that order.  I laughed a lot at the chemistry and interplay between Seth Rogen (who co-directed the film with his filmmaking partner, Evan Goldberg) and James Franco.  I think they work better here than in their earlier team up, Pineapple Express. (And yes, I know they did This is the End together last year, but Pineapple is definitely their more well known film together.) It's no secret that I find Rogen uneven as a comic actor.  The movie makes a smart choice by having him mainly play the straight man, getting off a few sarcastic one liners, while Franco serves as the comedic energy of the film.  He is frequently hilarious, and plays off well with Rogen's more deadpan and reigned in approach.

Franco plays Dave Skylar, the host of a tabloid entertainment show called Skylar Tonight.  The film gets off some big laughs right from the start, both with Franco's impersonation of the kind of "reporters" you frequently find on Entertainment Tonight or the E Channel, as well as the interviews he has with celebrities like Eminem and Rob Lowe.  And no, I wouldn't dream of spoiling the jokes those interviews are built around.  Rogen plays Skylar's lead producer and best friend, Aaron Rapaport.  Aaron once had big journalism dreams, and has seen some of his former school colleagues go on to jobs working for 60 Minutes, while he's stuck focusing on stories about the latest celebrity wardrobe malfunction.  He sees a chance to do something bigger when an article covering North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un (a very effective Randall Park), reveals that he is a big fan of Skylar's show.  Perhaps they could somehow secure an interview, which would not only give them massive ratings, but maybe raise the prestige of the show.

Through much tribulation and political red tape, Aaron does manage to secure the interview with Un, and Skylar and him prepare to set off for North Korea.  Before they leave, however, they are visited by a pair of CIA agents who want them to poison and kill the dictator while they have close access to him.  Much of the humor once they arrive in North Korea comes from the fact that these guys are not cold blooded killers, or espionage agents.  They have no idea what they are doing, and don't do a very good job of staying undercover.  There's also a funny subplot concerning Skylar actually spending time with Kim Jong Un, and falling in love with his decadent lifestyle.  The movie paints Un as an overgrown spoiled brat who enjoys the life of an entitled American youth.  He has a basketball court and a classic car collection, complete with a working military tank which Skylar and him take joyriding at one point, all the while condemning America as a culture in his public speeches.

As a satire of North Korea, The Interview is nowhere near as sharp as it could have been.  Its main target is its ruler, and the bizarre reports that have surfaced about him. (I'm sure that Dennis Rodman's recent visits were a big inspiration for this screenplay.) The entirety of the later half of the film is set within Un's personal compound, so we don't really get to see much of North Korea itself.  The plot also is fairly straightforward, with the two Americans bungling their way through just about every situation they encounter.  But, there is a tremendous amount of energy to the film that I really enjoyed.  I also liked the lead performances on the Korean side of the story, with not only Randall Park (who makes for a wonderfully immature yet spiteful Un), but also Diana Bang who is very good as a North Korean propaganda minister that falls for Rogen's character and begins to question her loyalty. 

I'm sure the makers of this movie are somewhat confused by all the attention that it has received.  This isn't even that political of a film.  It's a silly and intentionally over the top comedy, and on that level, it works.  Yes, there are some lengthy stretches where the movie seems to run out of inspiration.  But, it was immediately followed by a moment that had me laughing out loud.  Rogen, Franco and the entire cast are what carry this film even when the material seems to be sagging.  This is a joyful movie that has a lot more charm than you would expect given all the controversy surrounding it.  This was never meant to be an "important" movie or even one that was supposed to fuel debate.  Of course, the fact that it uses a real world dictator pretty much guaranteed it would get some unnecessary attention.  This kind of stuff has been happening since Chaplin spoofed Hitler in The Great Dictator.  And while The Interview is obviously nowhere near the level of that classic, you get the sense that the filmmakers are simply carrying on the tradition.

I think what's more interesting is how will The Interview be viewed once all of this dies down.  Will it be seen as just a silly movie that got a lot more attention than it deserved, or will it truly be seen as a film that tried to take a stand for something.  My money's on the first scenario.  I saw it and enjoyed it for what it was.  I have a hunch that's what the filmmakers are hoping most of their audience regards it as.

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