The Interpreter (Widescreen Edition)

The Interpreter (Widescreen Edition) Review

This movie is great. I really appreciated the fact that it is serious and thoughtful- not the overblown nonsense that I think the advertisements and whatnot made it out to be. There are several films that, while not direct comparisons in all ways, illuminate what I mean-- compare this film to "Shooter" or "The Siege". Those other movies are Hollywood nonsense all the way-- over-the-top, unrealistic, and cheesy. This movie, while also dealing with political intrigue, is completely realistic, at least in the way it treats the characters and their motivations. Perhaps some might argue that the individual "suspense" elements of plot are not very realistic, but the fine acting, script, and serious presentation give those elements more credibility than they might have if just considered on their own merits.

The film is measured, without a lot of dramatic music and flashy editing. It also treats the fictional political conflict, which could easily stand in for any number of real-world situations such as Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, or the Congo, very seriously and does a good job connecting human emotions with a type of conflict that most of us probably don't relate to very well here in the US.

The best thing about the movie is the acting by Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. They are both utter professionals who clearly embraced their roles. Ms. Kidman is icy and enigmatic, but somehow still allows the viewer to feel her barely submerged pain and suffering. Mr. Penn is completely convincing as a consumate professional torn up by some inner demons.

Perhaps some viewers may not find this movie particularly "entertaining." It lacks the sensationalism and flash that audiences might expect. It also features some pretty miserable characters-- I don't think there's a single laugh in the whole film. The politics it deals with is the type most Americans would rather pretend don't exist- the continued suffering and strife of impoverished post-colonial African nations. It is however, a masterfully acted, technically accomplished, and thought-provoking movie, and a really tense thriller, as well.

The Interpreter (Widescreen Edition) Overview

Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in the action-packed thriller, The Interpreter. In one of the hidden corridors of power at United Nations headquarters, translator Silvia Broome (Kidman) overhears a potentially explosive secret about a planned assassination attempt. But when federal agent Tobin Keller (Penn) investigates her claim and digs deeper into Silvia's dangerous past, he begins to question whether she is a victim - or a suspect. From Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack comes the riveting, edge-of-your-seat story of international intrigue that Ebert & Roeper give "Two thumbs up!"

The Interpreter (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Director Sydney Pollack delivers megawatt star power, high gloss, and political passion to The Interpreter, his first thriller since The Firm. With Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn delivering smooth, understated performances, the film more closely recalls Pollack's 1975 Robert Redford/Faye Dunaway paranoid thriller Three Days of the Condor, trading conspiratorial politicians for potential assassination in the United Nations General Assembly (this being the first film ever granted permission to use actual U.N. locations). Kidman plays a U.N. interpreter who inadvertently overhears hints of a plot to kill the reviled, tyrannical leader of her (fictional) African homeland; Penn is the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her, or to determine her role (if any) in the assassination scenario. By distancing itself from real-life politics, The Interpreter softens its potential impact as a thriller about contemporary globalization and threats to international peace, but the Penn/Kidman personal drama (between two people who gain a deep appreciation for shared anguish, without being artificially forced into romance) adds a richly human dimension to Pollack's expert handling of the thriller elements of a complex yet easily-followed plot. Indie-film stalwart Catherine Keener shines in her supporting role as Penn's sarcastic by sympathetic Secret Service partner. --Jeff Shannon