Rated PG-13 for violence, some sexual content and brief strong language.
Directed by Sydney Pollack (The Firm, Tootsie, Three Days of the Condor)
Starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn
The Interpreter delivers… a great reminder of how good Sydney Pollack is at film-making.
The synopsis is this: Escalating events begin when U.N. translator Silvia Broome (Kidman) alleges that she has overheard a death threat against an African head of state, spoken in a rare dialect few people other than Silvia can understand. With the words “The Teacher will never leave this room alive,” in an instant, Silvia's life is turned upside down as she becomes a hunted target of the killers. Placed under the protection of federal agent Tobin Keller (Penn), Silvia's world only grows more nightmarish. As Keller digs deeper into his eyewitnesses' past and her secretive world of global connections, the more suspicious he becomes that she herself might be involved in the conspiracy. With every step of the way, he finds more reasons to mistrust her. Is Sylvia a victim? A suspect? Or something else entirely?
Pollack really concentrates on character development with two likable leads. As the film progresses we get to know Silvia and Tobin deeper, one layer at a time. This is helped with powerful performances from both Kidman and Penn.
And the film has you guessing right to the end: who are the good guys, who are the bad guys? You’ll keep guessing as the mystery unfolds.
The film has enough action, enough character development and enough political intrigue to keep anyone interested. If you rent the movie and start it late at night… get ready to stay up late. You won’t turn this one off halfway through to continue later.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT:
Not young kids. And you’ll want to use your discretion with teenagers. Over all the film is clean. But there is one scene in a nightclub where we see the back of a girl in a thong, helping earn the films PG-13 rating. Then there’s some violence and language to consider. Nothing gratuitous. And the message is the film is positive.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
