News location:

Canberra Today 13°/18° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review / ‘The Interview’ (MA) ** and a half

interview

THIS Hollywood comedy caused a minor brouhaha when North Korea accused the Berlin Film Festival of instigating terrorism by screening it. Others including Barack Obama saw the accusation an attack on freedom of speech.

Having seen it, I wonder why the Festival selected a mainstream Hollywood comedy short on redeeming features, silly rather than stupid (but only by a whisker).

Dave Skylark’s TV interview program covering the detritus of the news is scoring high ratings worldwide. That jaundiced view of the TV audience is one of the few subtle points in co-directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s film. Co-writer with Dan Goldberg, Rogen also plays Aaron, Dave’s producer since the long-running program’s beginning.

North Korean officials invite Dave to interview President Kim (Randall Park). Details are arranged. The CIA persuades Dave and Aaron that it is their patriotic duty to assassinate Kim. CIA has confected a Mickey Mouse plot that will leave no traces.

From that point on, what from the opening frame shown hasn’t much sign of wit degenerates into what Hollywood calls comedy. Hollywood can do, has done, good comedy. Nowadays it so often just doesn’t try hard enough.

James Franco’s overplaying of dumb Dave from whom the screenplay withholds the inevitable professional epiphany until almost too late comes perilously close to stupid. Ho hum.

At Hoyts, Dendy, Greater Union and Limelight

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Music

Cunio takes top job at NZ School of Music

Immediate past head of the ANU School of Music, Kim Cunio, is to become head of school at Te Kōki, the NZ School of Music, part of the Victoria University of Wellington, reports HELEN MUSA.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews