Kidman contributes 'haunting beauty' to her role in 'Interpreter'

Reel Reflections

Although Nicole Kidman easily could carry "The Interpreter" by herself, the smart, strong plot makes it so that she doesn’t have to.

The Sydney Pollack ("Cold Mountain")-directed film is reminiscent of an old-school nail-biter, but with modern appeal.

In the movie, Silvia Broome (Kidman, "The Stepford Wives"), a U.N. interpreter, overhears a whispered death threat directed toward the leader of her homeland, the fictional African country Matobo. When she reports the threat, Secret Service agents Tobin Keller (Sean Penn, "21 Grams") and Dot Woods (Catherine Keener, "S1m0ne"), are assigned to assess the validity of Silvia’s claim.

Keller’s investigation reveals disturbing facts about Broome’s life in Africa. While Broome is supposedly "diplomatically neutral" as an interpreter for the U.N., Keller discovers that Broome’s ties to Matobo politics are anything but neutral. Eventually, Broome becomes a suspect, and Keller attempts to put the pieces together.

In the meantime, other plot twists come into play, such as Keller’s wife recently being killed in a drunk driving accident. While Keller struggles to recuperate from the loss as well as perform his job at the Secret Service, he becomes virtually obsessed with Broome and her secrets.

The plot is timely and relevant, considering that Matobo is a war-torn country in the midst of genocide — a situation that echoes real events in Africa. Kidman’s portrayal of a culturally savvy white African woman is both convincing and alluring. She brings a haunting beauty to the role. Penn, on the other hand, juxtaposes Kidman by portraying a rough, brooding New York City native. Although Kidman’s classiness sometimes seems at odds with Penn’s coarseness, the pair's collective acting talent pulls it off. Their characters hover around an impending romance, but it never happens, and therefore the plot is not cheapened.

Pollack, who was granted the extraordinary privilege of being able to tape inside the actual U.N. building, brings a new authenticity to a fictional, government-based movie. Pollack himself plays the role of Keller’s boss in the film. Keener, as Penn’s partner, is witty and smart in her supporting role, and partly serves to help agent Keller recover after the devastating loss of his wife. A surprising twist unfolds at the end involving Broome’s whereabouts, and audience members will grip their seats with suspense. "The Interpreter" is a thinking person’s thriller.

"The Interpreter"
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn
Runtime: 90 minutes
Rating: PG-13
4.5 out of 5 paws