The Interpreter Translates a Thriller to a Bland Character Study

Sydney Pollack directs The Interpreter, a character-driven thriller about a South-African interpreter working at the U.N. building who overhears whispers of an assassination plot against a controversial African leader. Nicole Kidman plays the title role, portraying equal parts confidence and guarded unease. Is she part of the conspiracy?

Sean Penn soon enters the picture as a Secret Service agent assigned to investigate her and find out. Penn deserves the MVP vote in this picture for taking the stock character of the burnt-out, borderline alcoholic, widower agent and carving out a real person. In his many long conversations with Kidman’s character that make up the bulk of the film, he plays the part in a minimalist fashion that lends itself to believing you are watching a real person up there on the screen.

Is it entertaining to watch? Not particularly, but it is fine acting, if that is your thing. Kidman is only slightly more entertaining because her character is the one the viewer is unsure of throughout the movie.

As it becomes obvious that director Pollack means the characters’ interactions to drive this film, it becomes increasingly painful that the characters aren’t terribly sympathetic and don’t have much chemistry. In fact the character that I liked best had only about 10 minutes of screen time. I am referring to Penn’s wry, yet caring partner, played very effectively by Catherine Keener.

The viewer gets the sense that her strength is what is keeping Penn’s agent from sliding into oblivion from drink and depression.

The story does deserve kudos for not having Penn’s and Kidman’s characters become romantically involved. As they get closer there are a few moments of tenderness, but none involving lips or tongues, which was refreshing to see in an otherwise unremarkable script.

To be fair, there are a couple genuinely thrilling, even exciting moments in the film but they are too few and too far between the investigative portions of the film. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mystery/thriller, police procedural, or character study. But this picture tries to be all these things at once, thus failing to excel as any of them.

The mystery portion was not very intriguing and the ending is anti-climactic after making the viewer sit through all the “get to know you” stuff. The investigation didn’t turn up much that we haven’t seen before, and the charactersâÂ?¦ wellâÂ?¦ I’ve said enough about the characters. After a long 123 minutes, The Interpreter is a mystery that fails to mystify, a thriller with only a few thrills, and a bland, character-driven drama that lacks character.