Mini-review of The Interpreter

This Friday we took a break from our usual SoCal college activities (golfing on the lawn and margaritas under the shade) to go to Disneyland. And once we got there and saw all the wonderful sights and amusements around, guess what we did?

We watched a movie.

Yes, kinda sad, but hey, I can go anytime with my annual pass, so cut me some slack. Anyway, we watched the Interpreter, and there are two things that you should know about this movie:

1. Good, but could have been better.
2. Nicole Kidman looks good as a blonde.

The movie is actually very enjoyable to watch. It's advertised as a kinda of spy thriller, and it is. Just don't expect it to be nearly as fast-paced as James Bond. It's an artisy movie as well, but it's not excessive. I won't give a plot summary, but the story does have it glaring holes. Some are obvious and easily noticed as you watch, others only occur to you after you leave the theater. It's unfortunate because the movie clearly had a well-thought out story that had the potential to be solid, but some sloppy directing in the second half holds the film back.

I think Nicole Kidman is a great actress, and she does fantastic work in this movie. She plays Silvia Broom, a UN interpreter raised in South Africa. She speaks the African languages like a pro (if she was just speaking random gibberish instead, she tricked me every time).

Sean Penn wasn't as impressive, but still did a good job as CIA agent conflicted both personally and professionally. The dynamic between him and Kidman is what really carries the movie, and that's a good thing.


I liked the movie, but if I could have gone back to when we bought the tickets, I would have seen Kung Fu Hustle and watched this later.