Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4368 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English, French, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 123 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Director Sydney Pollack delivers megawatt star power, high gloss, and political passion to The Interpreter, his first thriller since The Firm. With Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn delivering smooth, understated performances, the film more closely recalls Pollack's 1975 Robert Redford/Faye Dunaway paranoid thriller Three Days of the Condor, trading conspiratorial politicians for potential assassination in the United Nations General Assembly (this being the first film ever granted permission to use actual U.N. locations). Kidman plays a U.N. interpreter who inadvertently overhears hints of a plot to kill the reviled, tyrannical leader of her (fictional) African homeland; Penn is the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her, or to determine her role (if any) in the assassination scenario. By distancing itself from real-life politics, The Interpreter softens its potential impact as a thriller about contemporary globalization and threats to international peace, but the Penn/Kidman personal drama (between two people who gain a deep appreciation for shared anguish, without being artificially forced into romance) adds a richly human dimension to Pollack's expert handling of the thriller elements of a complex yet easily-followed plot. Indie-film stalwart Catherine Keener shines in her supporting role as Penn's sarcastic by sympathetic Secret Service partner. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Director Sidney Pollack's diverse career sees him returning to familiar ground with 'The Interpreter'. Crafted from the same mould that saw Pollack produce the superlative political thriller 'Three Days Of The Condor' (1975), Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in a film riddled with subterfuge, recriminations, and deadly secrets. Kidman plays Silvia Broome, an interpreter who works at the UN in New York City. One night, while collecting a bag she has left behind in the building, Silvia overhears a whispered conversation in which an assassination attempt on a redoubtable African leader, named Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), is planned during his future visit to the UN. Secret service agent Tobin Keller (Penn) is assigned to provide security for Zuwanie on the forthcoming trip, and conducts an investigation when Silvia explains what she has heard. He quickly discovers that Silvia has a lengthy, troubled past as a citizen from the same country as Zuwanie, and immediately doubts her story. A series of frantic, fast-paced set pieces ensue, with Pollack beautifully capturing the architectural wonder of the UN, and staging some breathtaking scenes all over the city. Much has been made of 'The Interpreter's status as the first film to be shot inside the UN, and it's to Pollack's credit that he wasn't overawed by such a prospect. Making full use of the building, the director highlights the hustle and bustle of a typical day at the UN, while also shooting eerily silent late night scenes among the famous halls and corridors. As Pollack piles on the tension, Penn and Kidman deliver exemplary performances alongside a prodigious supporting cast, who do justice to an intelligently written plot designed to keep viewers guessing right up until the final moments of the film.

Customer Reviews

good chemistry between nicole kidman and sean penn make this worth seeing
The Interpreter is not that exciting and it does not have so many twists and turns in the plot that it is too interesting either, but it is a competently made film with good dialogue and has two fine performances from sean penn and nicole kidman to keep the viewer watching.It is the chemistry between these two and their shared suffering that make the film worth seeing.

actually great!!
I'll be honest, I wasn't really expecting too much from this film. I love Nicole Kidman but she has been in some pretty dodgy roles. I was happily surprised and gripped by this great political thriller. Especially tying in with events that have been happening in America it made it even better. Sean Penn is also a great actor and the two of them work so well together!! This is well worth a watch, You'll love it!!

One of my favourites
This is a great action-packed thriller which keeps your brain-cells ticking and keeps you on the edge-of your seat; it is more intellectual compared with others in some ways. I recommend it. Great taste and flavour of the UN as well---giving an overall picture of what such a great institution is capable of achieving and why it exists today--words, compassion, diplomacy and justice will forever dominate over sheer brute force and violence.

I may be spoiling the film if you haven't seen it to some extent but it has some of the most beautiful and lyrically poetic lines ever----close to the end of the film:
'The gunfire around us makes it hard to hear.
But the human voice is different from other sounds.
It can be heard over noises that bury everything else.
Even when it's not shouting.
Even if it's just a whisper.
Even the lowest whisper can be heard over armies....
When it's telling the truth...'

The above is an extract from a fictional book written by one of the film's main characters: Dr.Edmond Zuwani.
The above lines alone for me is what makes this film worthy of 5 stars.(whoever they may have been written by)
I encourage you to watch the film to understand its context and greater meaning....Not many thrillers can truly move you and prompt you to understand humaneness and humanity.