"The Interpreter" is a fundamentally good suspense thriller made unconscionably tedious by the imposition of a romantic subplot. It looks great, sounds great, and when it sticks to the smart-thriller game plan, it works exceedingly well. Scott Frank's wonderful, old-fashioned film-noir sensibilities and Steve Zaillian's epic tone are both evident in the screenplay which does a fine job of making global-historical issues tangible and immediately compelling. In the best sequences the opening, the bus, and the high-stakes finale Pollack's direction is typically strong and self-assured. But when the Broome/Keller (Kidman/Penn) relationship strays unnecessarily from stressed-out, suspicious professionals to would-be lovers, you're inevitably reminded that you're watching a movie which probably owes more than it should to nervous executives and low-scoring all-female test screenings. The apparent willingness of Keller to contemplate bedding Broome when his own wife is barely in the grave is a character curve ball that adds nothing to the story but distaste. Had the chemistry been left to the generally subtle performances rather than corny, hamfisted dialogue, or the relationship been restricted to the more interesting ground it ultimately regains two people helping each other through grief then this would have been one of the 5-star movies of the year. As it stands, "The Interpreter" ends up being one of those frustrating cinematic experiences a very good film that is nonetheless oddly disappointing.
Review of The Interpreter
