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The Interpreter
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The Interpreter (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 72 | slideshow) Videos (see all 7)
The Interpreter (2005) -- Political intrigue and deception unfold inside the United Nations, where a US Secret Service agent (Penn) is assigned to investigate an interpreter (Kidman) who overhears an assassination plot.
The Interpreter (2005) -- Clip: Keller and Dot talk as they leave the crime scene
The Interpreter (2005) -- Political intrigue and deception unfold inside the United Nations, where a US Secret Service agent (Penn) is assigned to investigate an interpreter (Kidman) who overhears an assassination plot.
The Interpreter (2005) -- Political intrigue and deception unfold inside the United Nations, where a US Secret Service agent (Penn) is assigned to investigate an interpreter (Kidman) who overhears an assassination plot.
The Interpreter (2005) -- Clip: Keller explains his role in the investigation

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   34,138 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 35% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Sydney Pollack
Writers (WGA):
Martin Stellman (story) &
Brian Ward (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Interpreter on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 April 2005 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
The truth needs no translation.
Plot:
Political intrigue and deception unfold inside the United Nations, where a US Secret Service agent is assigned to investigate an interpreter who overhears an assassination plot. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Nicely textured suspense drama with a heart more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Nicole Kidman ... Silvia Broome

Sean Penn ... Tobin Keller

Catherine Keener ... Dot Woods

Jesper Christensen ... Nils Lud

Yvan Attal ... Philippe
Earl Cameron ... Zuwanie

George Harris ... Kuman-Kuman

Michael Wright ... Marcus

Clyde Kusatsu ... Police Chief Lee Wu

Eric Keenleyside ... Rory Robb

Hugo Speer ... Simon Broome

Maz Jobrani ... Mo

Yusuf Gatewood ... Doug

Curtiss Cook ... Ajene Xola (as Curtiss I'Cook)

Byron Utley ... Jean Gamba
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
L'interprète (France)
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for violence, some sexual content and brief strong language.
Runtime:
128 min
Country:
UK | USA | France
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
Taiwan:PG-12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41613) | Denmark:11 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | UK:12 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Filming at the United Nations could only take place on the weekends. Film crews would move in on a Friday night, protect and prep the general assembly only to withdraw nearly all of their equipment by Sunday. more
Goofs:
Continuity: After the bus explosion, Silvia has two cuts on her left cheek. After the blood is cleaned off, she has three cuts on her left cheek. Then in the next scene, the extra cut is much smaller, even though not very much time has elapsed. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Simon Broome: She wouldn't tell me her husband's name. She wouldn't even write it.
more
Soundtrack:
F Stop Blues more

FAQ

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22 out of 37 people found the following comment useful:-
Nicely textured suspense drama with a heart, 1 May 2005
6/10
Author: mstomaso from Vulcan

Sydney Pollak has directed a lot of good films over the last 40 years, and this, though not his finest work, is one. But it's just 'good'. Pollak has a great sense of pacing and character development, and he puts both to work to good effect in this suspenseful high-stakes terrorism drama. Kidman and Penn deliver solid and memorable performances and are joined by an excellent supporting cast. The acting talent, clever though predictable plot, superior production and cinematography, and fearlessly quirky script are what makes this film work, despite a few rather absurd plot points.

Kidman unsurprisingly, dominates the screen with a powerful portrayal of a young South African translator for the UN, who overhears a plot to assassinate the genocidal president of her home country, Motambo. Penn plays a hard-nosed, recently widowed investigator assigned to the case. As the plot escalates, it becomes clear that Kidman herself is also a target and that she has secrets...

There are some problems with believability here. Most glaring is the fact that the intelligence agents and security people investigating Kidman and the plot to kill a genocidal African president in the U.N. are depicted as anything but intelligent. The identity of the perpetrator and the nature of the intended crimes should have been more or less obvious about half-way through the film, and the security team should have had a trap set and armed personnel crawling all over the entire building. It is also unlikely that anybody in Kidman's predicament would have been allowed to continue with unrestricted access to the UN, at virtually any time of day or night, more or less unwatched. And it is even more problematic that somebody with her background should be working at the UN in the first place. The actors' performances and the relationship which develops between the two main characters (which is really at least half the plot) help to gloss over the minor problems and make the film very entertaining and suspenseful. There are also some potentially powerful political messages just below the surface, but I never felt that these messages really emerged, and was left wondering if theyr were simply artistic flourishes or perhaps, posturing.

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