The Interview: A Study in Foreign Affairs

Hello People of the Interwebs!

Today's review is of a movie which allegedly caused Sony to be hacked, and much angst within the media, which did all the publicity for the film, for free! That's right, it's 'The Interview'!

Image Credit to IMDb

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

The story follows a television "journalist" Dave Skylark, who mainly reports on pointless celebrity stuff. However, his Producer, Aaron Rapaport, wants them to do more serious stuff, like presidential interviews and whatnot. Dave agrees, somewhat reluctantly. Dave then finds out that Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader of The People's Republic of North Korea, is a fan of his news show. They decide to interview Kim Jong-Un, and announce it on air. The CIA decides to use this opportunity to have Dave and Aaron assassinate Kim Jong-Un. Once they get to North Korea, Dave and Kim Jong-Un hit it off, and start hanging out regularly. Everything else is a wild ride of honey-potting, guns, explosions, betrayal, and hilarity. The writing is silly and cheesy, and has many unexpected twists and turns.

James Franco and Seth Rogen. These two men are phenomenal together. They work so well off each other, and even without the other, they are still hilarious. James Franco plays Dave Skylark, and Seth Rogen plays Aaron Rapaport. Lizzy Caplan (yes, the one from Mean Girls) plays Agent Lacey, who is the one who runs the operation to kill Kim Jong-Un. She puts Dave Skylark in his place many times, and does it with grace and humor. Sook Yin-Pa (Aaron's love interest) was played by Diana Bang, and she brings a femme-fatale feel to the character, but without over glorifying sex. Kim Jong-Un was played by Randall Park. He was probably one of my favorite characters.

Wait, what? Yes, that's right. Kim Jong-Un was one of my favorite characters. The way that Randall Park played him was beautifully done. His violence and desire to destroy America is based on him trying to show that he is worthy of his father's position. His father never showed him approval, and made him feel powerless and lonely. The moments of emotion are perfectly done, which helps to turn the violent moments into moments where you feel bad for Kim Jong-Un. (At some point, you might feel conflicted about what a win might look like.) And during the final confrontation, as Kim Jong-Un faces the very real possibility of his own imminent demise, the pain and sadness shows exceptionally well.

This film is silly, stupid, cheesy, and hilarious. The acting is the best part of it, since the acting is subtle, which provides a nice contrast to the in your face-ness of the writing, sets, and action. It's a great movie for if you just want a late night laugh.

This is the Teenage Critic, signing off!

Well, before I do... I'm the Production Stage Manager and Co-Adapter for a stage adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. We currently have a fundraiser going to help pay for the rehearsal space and the theater space. We only have 11 more days to fund it, or we can't put on the show. Every dollar helps, so donate whatever you can! Link: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/dut66/ab/14KEA9

Like The Teenage Critic on Facebook here. You can email the Teenage Critic, at criticteen1@gmail.com. Feel free to send me your suggestions for movies to review, or just to send me your opinions and fan mail. Follow me on Twitter, @Thomas_Pflanz

He's Become a Walking Cliche...

Hello People of he Interwebs!

After a couple week break from reviews, I'm back with a new one! I'm going to be reviewing the film 'Adaption'.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead!

The movie follows the story of Charlie Kaufman (the actual screenwriter of 'Adaptation'), as he writes the script for the movie version of a book based on a piece from "The New Yorker". What's more, the script that's being written in the film is the actual script for the movie about the script being written. Kind of meta. It's a very thought provoking film, especially for one like myself. I'm in the process of writing a satirical spy film, which I hope to someday produce and direct. I've rewritten many a scene over and over, and I've spent countless hours, sleepless, fretting over a scene. In that way I feel strongly connected to Charlie.

This film really gives you a lot to think about. First, there's Donald. (This is about to get very spoilery.)

In the end of the film, Donald Kaufman, the twin brother of Charlie, dies. Now, Donald never actually existed in real life. And I think that he never existed in the movie either. After he dies, we see paramedics wheeling a gurney into the back of an ambulance. And nobody's on it. However, it is entirely plausible that he was in another ambulance. Also, when Charlie calls his mother crying, he never says anything. I think that he just wanted to call his mother after a traumatizing experience, rather than tell her that Donald died. It's just a theory, but I think it has some merit.

Another amazing thing about this movie is how it brings up so many rules and "dos and don'ts" of screenwriting. but it breaks them all throughout the course of the film. Some prominent examples are: During a seminar taught by a screenwriting expert, Cage is doing a voice over. It is interrupted by the expert, saying "And God help you if you put a voice over in your movie. It's lazy and there are better ways to get a character's thoughts across." and when Charlie tells Donald that his film can't have a chase scene, and the movie has a chase scene in the third act. There are so many more, all sprinkled through the movie.

Now let's talk about the acting. Nicolas Cage is currently known for over the top acting and even more over the top eye bulges and freak outs. But, in this film, he... well. He played Charlie Kaufman and his twin brother, Donald. He has an amazing subtlety to his performance, which I certainly did not expect. He gives both characters such vibrant life, but each has their own personality, their own gaits, their own little quirks. Cage's performance in this film may be one of my favorite performances I've seen. Now, the other actors do a phenomenal job supporting Cage, and bringing their own characters to life. Meryl Streep plays Susan Orlean, the author of the book 'The Orchid Thief', which is a real book, that this film (partly) adapts. She brings a nuance to each scene that is very rare to see. Chris Cooper plays John Laroche, the subject of Susan's initial piece for 'the New Yorker'. He hits some stereotypes at first, but it all shifts, and he becomes an actual human being further in. He shows this change very well, and portrays the character beautifully.

All in all, this is an extremely powerful film, wrought with emotions and meaning. I highly recommend that you watch this film. It will leave you with many a thought whirling around in your brain, and lots to chew on. This film is probably in my list of favorite movies!

This is the Teenage Critic, signing off!

Well, before I do... I'm the Production Stage Manager and Co-Adapter for a stage adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. We currently have a fundraiser going to help pay for the rehearsal space and the theater space. We only have 18 more days to fund it, or we can't put on the show. Every dollar helps, so donate whatever you can! Link: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/dut66/ab/14KEA9

Like The Teenage Critic on Facebook here. You can email the Teenage Critic, at criticteen1@gmail.com. Feel free to send me your suggestions for movies to review, or just to send me your opinions and fan mail. Follow me on Twitter, @Thomas_Pflanz