The Interview

Film Review by Kirsty Leckie-Palmer | 04 Jun 2015
Film title: The Interview
Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang, Timothy Simons
Release date: 8 Jun
Certificate: 15

The backdrop: green-screen North Korea. The premise: self-serving hacks Dave Skylark (James Franco) and Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) attempt to claw some standing by scooping a more ponderous story than their show’s typical celebri-scandal fodder. They’re coerced by the CIA into assassinating Kim Jong-Un (Randall Park). Hilarity allegedly ensues.

Great comedy can take aim at any subject, and make us feel terrible for laughing when it hits the mark. If only in comedic aim, The Interview is indiscriminate, firing in puerile scattershot at race, sexual orientation and gender. But a typical line from Aaron —“Did you say China? And did you just say dong?” — demonstrates an abject carelessness which is more offensive than any other wrongdoing of which The Interview has been accused.

As though already apologising for his part, Franco’s character Dave winces away criticism, cultural gulfs, and a volatile dictator with the mantra: “They hate us ‘cos they ain’t us.” To which, at one point, Aaron responds with startling acuity. ‘No. They hate us because we’re fucking terrible.’ And in this fluke moment of truth, he states all there is to it.

Released on DVD and Blu-ray by Sony Pictures Home Ent.