Movie Review

The Interpreter

The Interpreter is a new film by Sydney Pollack, whose previous thriller, The Firm, was based on a very popular John Grisham novel. I found The Firm (C+/B-) to be surprisingly low-key for its genre (it wasn?t as gripping or as rapidly paced as I had expected), but thought it was fairly decent but too long. I also wasn?t a fan of Pollack?s Tootsie (C+), and I felt his direction had an annoying 1980?s feel (in which the tone is incredibly breezy). The Interpreter is not based on anything but it features Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, who seemed to be a promising pairing for a thriller. Pollack hadn?t impressed me yet, tonally, or with pacing, but this team was a hopeful one.

Unfortunately, it?s easy to call this film pretty stupid early on. The good news is that the story gets to the point right away, and I liked the captivating tone of the introduction. The bad news is that if you?re not sold on the plot points within about five minutes following the intro, you will likely be bored throughout the rest of the movie. The film has a very basic setup (after the introduction) surrounding whether or not a character hears what she thought she did. The plot point is breezed over in a heartbeat, and so it's possible to be disappointed by the lack of depth. If, on the other hand, all you?re looking for is an easy diversion, or if you are undemanding, The Interpreter could be a decent night out.

Nicole Kidman stars as United Nations interpreter, Silvia Broome, who overhears suspicious whispering regarding an upcoming assassination of a foreign dictator. The plot was whispered in a language Silvia understood, given her profession, and when she attempts to figure out the details, Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) is assigned to watch over her for safety. But as pieces start to build, it becomes apparent that Silvia?s mysterious past that she will not reveal could be a key in helping Keller complete the puzzle.

This is a by-the-numbers story, and it doesn?t help much that the trailer, like Stepford Wives (C+), gives away a lot, leaving very little suspense for those who watch ads. The emotional elements that add up to the finale also seem to be out of a different movie, and I found the ending anticlimactic. The film has a mix of political commentary, drama, suspense, and thrills (basically one explosion), but given the lack of character depth, not many of the themes hit home.

I was hoping The Interpreter would be up to the level of The Manchurian Candidate (B), but it ends up being formulaic and lacks the performances and astute direction of that film ? not even Kidman and Penn can lift this from being a conventional thriller. And apparently Sean Penn originally turned down this project for that reason, but ended up being talked into it (like Kidman with Stepford Wives). His role is simple and his dialogue is very straightforward (which makes his initial decline understandable), and yet he creates a presence out of it; he turns one-dimensional moments into decent material. Kidman is okay, but I never really saw her as an actual character (rather, a gimmick), as the material is not up to par with what she is capable of.

While I respect Pollack as an actor, I feel his directing isn?t up to par with the standards of this genre. Some people may praise him for not resorting to the gimmicky tricks various directors can apply, but I need to get involved in the experience somehow and the story and performances are only part of the equation. Thrillers, after all, are supposed to entertain and ?thrill,? and the film wasn?t doing either one for me. I respect when these films try to mix in intelligent themes alongside rather mainstream ideas, but the manner of presentation (both in the script and direction) is key in making us take the ride. Filmgoers with a sensibility of the genre might leave less-than-impressed, but routine moviegoers might view this as a reasonable, light escape.

Lee's Grade: C+

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%