Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and screenplay written by Dan Sterling from a story by Rogen, Goldberg, and Sterling, The Interview is the story of two American journalists who have booked an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as they’re asked by the CIA to assassinate him. The film is a humorous take of two bumbling journalists whose job is to kill Kim Jong-un as they also try to befriend him for the interview as the North Korean leader is played by Randall Park. Also starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Diana Bang, and Timothy Simons. The Interview is a wild and hilarious film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
When an American talk show host managed to get an interview with Kim Jong-un in an attempt to gain legitimacy, he and his producer friend travel to North Korea as they’re secretly asked by the CIA to kill him. Along with way, the two men do idiotic things where the talk show host Dave Skylark (James Franco) befriends Kim Jong-un through parties and all sorts of shit while his friend Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) is trying to get the interview to happen as well as do the assignment. The film’s screenplay is aware that it doesn’t have a plot while it also portrays Kim Jong-un as someone trying to live up to his father’s legacy to ensure the people of North Korea that he’s a god with no butt hole. While Skylark thinks that Kim Jong-un is a good guy as he never takes his subjects seriously which often brings discomfort to Rapoport who is seen by other journalists and producers as a pariah and a thorn to the true world of journalism. Rapoport’s desire to be taken seriously and do what is right would later cause conflict between him and Skylark until the latter makes some very chilling discoveries.
The direction by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg is pretty simple as it’s not going for anything big but rather play into the world of celebrity news and the idea of what North Korea is to the world. Much of it involves some unique compositions in the wide and medium shots to how Skylark and Rapoport are with each other as they are buddies. The direction definitely has a sense of style in the sense of partying while the use of close-ups are very prevalent once they meet Kim Jong-un. Even in how he’s filmed where he is presented as a mythic figure until it is clear that he likes pussy, margaritas, and all sorts of crazy shit. Much of the film is shot in Canada to play into the look of North Korea and how much of Kim Jong-un wants to make the place feel like paradise. Yet, Rogen and Goldberg also present an air of suspense about what happen if this interview does go wrong as there’s the threat of nuclear war happening where Rapoport and Skylar know there’s a lot at stake once they uncover the truth. Overall, Rogen and Goldberg create a very witty yet entertaining film about two idiots who are asked to kill Kim Jong-un.
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of interior lights for the scenes at Kim Jong-un‘s palace to the nighttime exteriors in some of scenes in New York City and a crucial scene at night where Rapoport has to retrieve something near the forest. Editors Zene Baker and Evan Henke do fantastic work with the editing as it‘s very stylized with some cheesy TV editing wipes as well as jump-cuts and montages to play into the comedy and sense of fun that is prevalent during the film. Production designer Jon Billington, with set decorator Johanne Hubert and art director James Steuart, does brilliant work with the look of Kim Jong-un‘s palace with its halls and rooms along with the look of the CIA mission control room. Costume designer Carla Hetland does nice work with the look of the North Korean uniforms as well as the suits and casual clothes that Skylar and Rapoport wear.
Makeup artists Laverne Caracuzzi and Andrea Manchur do superb work with the look of Kim Jong-un from the design of his haircut and a few minor features. Visual effects supervisor Paul Linden does terrific work with the visual effects for some of the film‘s action scenes as well as few set dressing scenes to make the film look like it‘s at North Korea. Sound designers Michael Babcock and Eric A. Norris do amazing work with the sound from the way drones sound when they fly above North Korea to the layers of sounds in some of the gunfire that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is wonderful for its mixture of bombastic orchestral music along with elements of traditional Asian music and a flamenco piece while music supervisor Jonathan Karp creates a fun soundtrack filled with hip-hop and rap music plus contributions by Usher, David Bowie, Isaac Hayes, Scorpions, and Katy Perry.
The casting by Francine Maisler is phenomenal as it features notable small roles from Anders Holm as an old friend of Rapoport who is also a rival producer, Charles Rhai Chun as General Jong, and Timothy Simons as Skylar and Rapoport’s fellow producer/friend Malcolm. Diana Bang is fantastic as a North Korean military officer named Sook who meets with Rapoport on the meeting as she aid him in preparing the interview. Lizzy Caplan is excellent as CIA agent Lacey who prepares Skylar and Rapoport for their meeting with Kim Jong-un as she does have a few funny moments while being the straight person for the two men.
Randall Park is hilarious as Kim Jong-un as this dictator who wants to be seen as a god as he befriends Skylar as he’s a fan of his show where Park brings a lot of humor but also some terror into his character. Finally, there’s the duo of James Franco and Seth Rogen in marvelous performances in their respective roles as Dave Skylar and Aaron Rapoport as the two definitely bring in a lot of laughs as well as display great chemistry. Franco brings an energetic and lively performance as a talk show who is full of himself while thinking he would make history with his interview with Kim Jong-un. Rogen also brings a lot of energy to his performance while being the voice of reason in the film as he copes with what is at stake as well as what Kim Jong-un really is.
The Interview is a fantastically funny and bombastic film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Armed with a nifty premise as well as not taking itself very seriously as it has bits of satire on the world of the media. In the end, The Interview is an exhilarating and fun film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Related: This is the End
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse by Jason Stone, This is the End is an apocalyptic comedy in which a group of celebrity friends have a party until the Apocalypse emerges as the small group of survivors try to stay home at James Franco’s house as tension and such emerge as they all try to survive the end of the world. Written for the screen and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the film is a raunchy comedy where many of the actors in the film play fictional versions of themselves as they all try to survive the Apocalypse. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and Emma Watson as they all play themselves with a cast that includes many other people. This is the End is a hilarious and extravagant comedy from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
The film revolves around an apocalyptic event during a party at James Franco’s house where many celebrities have died during the party while Franco, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride all stay at Franco’s house trying to survive with what little supplies they have. In turn, all sorts of things happen where much of the focus is about the strained relationship between Rogen and Baruchel as the latter arrives in Los Angeles visiting Rogen in the hopes to repair their friendship. Instead, the party at Franco would only further the strain as tension would also increase between the six where McBride is portrayed as a very greedy and selfish individual, Franco as a pretentious movie star who is attached to his old film props, and Hill as an overly-nice diva. All of which have the actors play exaggerated versions of themselves while there’s moments in the film that would test their friendship as well as how to survive the apocalypse.
The film’s screenplay by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg starts off as a nice, raunchy comedy where everyone but Baruchel is having a good time at Franco’s house where some of the wild moments involve Michael Cera doing cocaine and getting a blow-job. Once things start happening where people die and a sinkhole emerges in front of Franco’s house where chaos ensues and no one is sure what to make of it. With Baruchel thinking it’s the Apocalypse happening where Robinson would believe him, everyone else isn’t sure until all of the tension and such starts to emerge. Even as Baruchel is accused of being self-righteous and Rogen is accused of being a sell-out where Robinson is sort of the film’s conscience. All of which would play into these guys trying to survive the Apocalypse and face whatever is out there.
Rogen and Goldberg’s direction is very ambitious and lavish in terms of their idea of what might happen in the Apocalypse. Much of it involve some very hazy exterior scenes where it’s a world that is reminiscent of hell as the Hollywood Hills is being engulfed in flames while demons emerge wreaking havoc. The direction would feature some simple moments in the compositions as well as a lot of lively humor that is filled with spontaneity. Even as some of it is crass and confrontational where Rogen and Goldberg maintain that intimacy in Franco’s home as well as going very broad for many of the scenes set in Los Angeles. Even as it would involve these crazy moments while beams are shot up from the air taking people to somewhere unknown. Overall, Rogen and Goldberg create a very engaging and funny film about six friends trying to survive the Apocalypse.
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of yellow-lights and smoke to play into a look of ruin and terror for some of the film‘s exteriors and lights in the interior scenes. Editor Zene Baker does fantastic work with the editing where it plays into all sorts of styles including a few montages of the guys partying while creating home-made sequels to some of their films. Production designer Chris L. Spellman, with set decorator Helen Britten and art director William Ladd Skinner, does amazing work with the look of James Franco‘s house that includes some paintings and art work that surrounds the house to play into Franco‘s sense of arrogance.
Costume designer Danny Glicker does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the personality of the characters involved in the film. Visual effects supervisor Paul Linden does brilliant work with some of the visual effects such as the exteriors of Los Angeles engulfed in flames as well as the look of the demons the characters have to deal with. Sound designer Michael Babcock does superb work with the sound from the way the monsters sound to some of the chaos that occurs in and out of the house The film’s music by Henry Jackman is wonderful for its suspenseful-based orchestral score to play into some of the terror in the film while music supervisor Jonathan Karp brings in a fun soundtrack that consists of music from Black Sabbath, Cypress Hill, M.I.A., Whitney Houston, the Backstreet Boys, Dr. Dre, Snoop Lion, and other acts to play into the party atmosphere of the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible for the array of people that appear in the film as themselves such as Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rhianna, Martin Starr, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Aziz Ansari, and David Krumholtz as party guests. Michael Cera is hilarious as a very debauched version of himself doing cocaine, getting blow-jobs in bathrooms, and slapping Rhianna’s ass. Emma Watson is amazing as herself as she briefly appears in Franco’s house during the Apocalypse carrying an axe. Danny McBride is great as himself as he brings his Kenny Powers character to the mix as this overly-selfish and greedy person. Craig Robinson is excellent in a much more calm and softer version of himself as he sort of plays the film’s conscience.
Jonah Hill is superb as this overly-nice and sensitive version of himself as he wears an earring and wants to be peaceful yet secretly hates Jay for being self-righteous where he gets to be very funny later in the film. James Franco is fantastic as this even more smug version of himself who likes to keep his props while trying to maintain order only to create more tension in the group. Jay Baruchel is brilliant as the loner of the group who tries to make sense of everything while creating some misunderstanding during the chaos. Finally, there’s Seth Rogen in a terrific performance as a more subdued version of himself who is insecure about his man-titties while trying to include Jay into the gang though he is also trying to maintain his friendship with Franco.
This is the End is a flat-out hilarious apocalyptic comedy from Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Thanks to a great cast, a unique premise, and a fun soundtrack, it’s a film that pokes fun of celebrity and the idea of how they would survive the Apocalypse. Even as they would turn against each other and do all sorts of crazy things in an event like this. In the end, This is the End is a remarkable film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
© thevoid99 2014
