Movie Review: ‘Interpreter’ keeps the suspense
Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) and Sean Penn (“Mystic River”) make a suitable pair in “The Interpreter” as they both combine dramatic realism, political ideals and even a bit of humor into their relationship. They are the headliners in this shady government drama about a potential assassination set to take place inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Kidman plays a mysterious interpreter working at the United Nations who just happens to overhear a murder plot and Penn is a recently widowed Secret Service agent sent to investigate her. Intrigue quickly unfurls and wreaks havoc on all the characters as a plentiful list of suspects is created and altered.
As the plot slowly thickens so does the cast of characters. Mental acuity is a must for viewers of this film because there are so many different people to keep track of. While the array of government leaders, Secret Service agents and foreign terrorists multiplies, the possibilities of plot direction do the same. This makes “The Interpreter” a fun and challenging maze of complexity which encourages the viewer to solve its many conspiracies.
Directed by Academy Award winner Sydney Pollack (“Out of Africa”), “The Interpreter” probably won’t be considered his greatest masterpiece (since there were a few predictable scenes). But he creates a realistic story of political maneuvering and treachery and he doesn’t make it too convoluted for most people to understand.
However, the film was much more emotional and politically driven than expected. Most political dramas mix in a lot of intense action and violence to make the film seem more entertaining to younger audiences. “The Interpreter” does not do this. Although there are four particular scenes where the violence is unflinchingly brutal, the emotional and relationship drama is what really dominates the film.
Kidman achieves another stellar performance as a fragile loner who coyly conceals a surprising history. Penn is wonderful as a bottled-up man trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered future. When both these characters meet, they have a most unusual development as they inspire each other to reveal dark events of their past and disenchanted emotions.
Some of the dialogue seems to lack originality but they both give unfailing performances and draw the audience into their worlds of private turmoil. The performances of Kidman and Penn are even further upheld and magnified through the vast supporting cast.
“The Interpreter” is filled with vague characters and strong contrasts of political principles. It shows us that there are many forms of justice that we might be better able to learn from if only we would try harder to understand. It also shows us the indistinct qualities of language. What justice means to one person could mean vengeance to another, and what terrorism is to us might be patriotism to someone else. As these seemingly endless uncertainties are explored, there are some great one-liners that eloquently express reasons for the drastic decisions we sometimes make.
Even though “The Interpreter” doesn’t provide an enormous crescendo of action, it gives us an intricate glimpse into the interconnected workings of politics and the inherent ambiguity of truth and relationships.
Casey T. Allen is a movie critic for the Utah Statesman and a junior majoring in English. Comments may be sent to caseyal@cc.usu.edu.