The Interview (2014) - Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogan

Dave Skylark hosts the extremely popular celebrity-fueled television show 'Skylark Tonight', and along with his producer Aaron Rapoport, they've had a very successful run to-date.  When the two discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a major fan of the show, they land an interview with him, with Aaron attempting to legitmize himself as a journalist.   As they prepare for the interview, Dave and Aaron are greeted by an unexpected guest, the CIA, who recruits them to assassinate Kim Jong-un.  Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen's The Interview is a crude, incredibly silly film that thrives off its incredibly energy, being a highly enjoyable romp that never apologizes for its unique brand of low-brow humor.  I find it absolutely hilarious how much of the criticism surrounding this movie revolves around people's expectations that it's a political satire.  Funny enough the films most seething commentary lies in its critique of mass media, and their obsession with trivial crap, as opposed to things that really matter.  James Franco's character Dave Skylark is the center of this critique, an absolutely vapid individual who lives in a fantasy world, intent on focusing on trivial bullshit.  This is definitely one of Franco's best performances, capturing this douchy, self-absorded character with such hilarious energy.  The Interview's critique of North Korean's regime is actually much more subdued, the way it should be, capturing the oppressive regime but never letting it become a central part of the film.  This is a dumb, fun comedy, and The Interview isn't interested in creating a poignant portrait of a dictatorship -this is simply not the type of film it wants to be.  Goldberg does such a good job at subverting humor, using violence, homosexual undertones, and an incredibly clever montage sequence to create a unique and enjoyable experience.  While I've always believed that Comedy is the one genre that is completely subjective, The Interview is a funny film that lives off the chemistry of its two leads.  While it's not as funny as the trio of Franco, Goldberg, and Rogen's last film, This Is The End, I throughly enjoyed it and laughed my ass off. 

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