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The Interpreter By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- If you can imagine "The Man Who Knew Too Much," "North by Northwest" and "The Manchurian Candidate" rolled into one, you'll have a fair idea of what awaits you in "The Interpreter" (Universal), though the film is several notches below those distinguished forebears. Still, this is a crisply filmed, reasonably suspenseful tale about a Secret Service agent named Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) -- working in tandem with Agent Dot Woods (Catherine Keener) -- who investigates the claim that Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman), an African-born interpreter employed at the United Nations, has overheard a plot against Prime Minister Zuwanie (Earl Cameron) of the fictitious country of Matobo, where genocide is rampant. After a routine evacuation drill, Silvia returns to her translating booth, where she hears the nefarious plan -- in Matobo's language of Ku, a rare African dialect that only a handful of nonnatives could translate. She is observed in the lighted booth, making her a target for the conspirators, who spend much of the film trying to kill her. Agent Tobin is brought in to protect the putative victim, and is highly suspicious of Silvia, since her African ties may, he reasons, give her motive for Zuwanie to be killed. If so, she asks him, why would she have reported it? Tobin learns that Silvia's parents and sister were killed, when she was 12, under Zuwanie's regime, and she is frantic to find her missing brother, arranges secret meetings with fellow countryman Philippe (Yvan Attal), a photographer, and appears to take an intense interest in two opponents of Zuwanie: Xola (Curtiss I' Cook) and Kuman-Kuman (George Harris). Silvia's innocence becomes more plausible to Tobin as the story progresses, particularly when it appears that her life really is in danger. One of the most riveting sequences involves a bomber aboard a crowded bus in Brooklyn, which channels the fearful specter of terrorism on American shores. Eventually, wouldn't you know, Tobin finds himself falling in love with Silvia, though he is just recovering from the death of his wife in a car accident two weeks before. Director Sydney Pollack's political thriller is too complex -- not to mention improbable -- for its own good, but the film is made with his usual craftsmanship. Pollack himself plays the small role of the Secret Service chief. The cast is first-rate. Kidman is becoming the next-generation Meryl Streep with a different look -- and accent -- in each new film. Here, she's reinvented herself with a measured African cadence and a flaxen blonde, pale visage. Penn is solid as always giving a compelling performance. The sharp U.N. locations are another plus (it's the first time a film crew has been allowed access to the inner areas of the complex). Though the pacing is not consistently edge-of-your-seat variety, you won't be bored. And if the film's loopholes have you scratching your head, "The Interpreter" is nonetheless entertaining -- for this day and age -- with relatively discreet violence, and no sexual content at all to speak of. There are praiseworthy messages about the superiority of words to guns in solving international problems, as exemplified by the diplomatic Silvia and the hands-on-the-trigger Tobin, the healing power of forgiveness, and the implicit condemnation of genocidal regimes. The film contains some profanity and crude language, several instances of brief but strong violence, thematic suicide material, a scantily clad lap dancer, and a glimpse of massacred bodies. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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