The Interpreter - Dayton Daily News

'The Interpreter' translates into an intelligent thriller

By DAVE LARSEN
Dayton Daily News

Sydney Pollack is no stranger to intrigue. The Oscar-winning director's credits include the suspense classic Three Days of the Condor, along with the thrillers Absence of Malice and The Firm.

The Interpreter, a political thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, returns Pollack to familiar territory, although it's not quite a return to form.

Universal Studios

'The Interpreter'

The verdict: Occasionally strains credibility, yet it remains an intelligent and entertaining thriller.

Director: Sydney Pollack
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, George Harris, Catherine Keener
Run time: 128 minutes
Release date: April 22, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for violence, some sexual content and brief strong language.
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The smart, topical thriller has the distinction of being the first motion picture to be filmed on location at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The global diplomatic setting serves as the backdrop for an involving drama about modern-day tyranny and terrorism.

Kidman and Penn give strong performances as two people haunted by personal tragedies who are forced to trust one another, despite "standing on opposite sides of the river," as Kidman's character puts it.

The Interpreter also features a notable supporting turn by Dayton native Curtiss Cook, who portrays African revolutionary leader Ajene Xola.

Kidman is Silvia Broome, an African-born U.N. translator who claims to have overheard an assassination threat against the dictator of the fictional African nation of Matobo, spoken in a rare dialect that few people other than Silvia can understand.

Penn portrays Tobin Keller, a cynical Secret Service agent assigned to investigate the threat, as well as Broome herself.

The clock is ticking, as Matobo's treacherous President Edmund Zuwanie (Earl Cameron) is scheduled to address the U.N. assembly in three days, amid charges of genocide. According to the threat, he won't leave the room alive.

Broome's life appears to be in danger, lending credence to her claims. However, as Keller digs into the witness' past, including her ties to Southern Africa, he begins to suspect that Silvia herself might be involved in the conspiracy.

The Interpreter is densely plotted, so that even the most astute viewer might have trouble keeping track of the film's many opposing factions and characters. But as it progresses, the focus shifts to the relationship between Broome and Keller, who bond by sharing their respective losses.

Pollack ratchets up the suspense as the story's threads pull together — resulting in a breathless sequence aboard a moving Manhattan bus in which numerous players converge, in addition to the tense, surprising climax.

The screenplay is credited to three writers, including Academy Award nominee Scott Frank (Out of Sight) and Oscar-winner Steven Zallian (Schindler's List).

The international supporting cast is highlighted by Catherine Keener as Keller's partner; Jesper Christensen as the head of Matobo's security detail; and Yvan Attal as a mysterious photographer.

Pollack has a cameo role as the head of the Secret Service Foreign Dignitary Protection Unit.

The Interpreter occasionally strains credibility, yet it remains an intelligent and entertaining thriller.