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Penn, Kidman work in "Interpreter"

Written by NED O'REILLY

Wednesday, 04 May 2005

Sean Penn’s first scene as FBI specialist John Keller in veteran director Sidney Pollack’s "The Interpreter" is fabulous. Sitting on a stool in a loud, crowded bar, wearing an expression of utter defeat and sorrow, Keller removes his wedding ring and drops it in his empty Scotch glass. He then walks to the jukebox and unplugs it, drawing the turned heads of everyone in the joint. After plugging it back in, he puts in a couple of quarters, chooses Lyle Lovett’s "If I Had A Boat," and walks to the phone. font face="verdana" size ="1">

It’s out of order, but he leans next to it and uses his cell phone instead. He hears his wife’s voice on the answering machine, but sadly and dejectedly hangs up without leaving a message. Without the character speaking a word, we know almost all we need to know about him.

"The Interpreter"

Entertainment:

Art:

Directed by Sydney Pollack
Written by Martin Stellman, Brian Ward, Charles Randolph and Scott Frank
Starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn

On the way, though, Pollack requires all of the characters to maintain a professional dignity, so we don’t see any of the hysterics usually on display in action flicks. Yet while Penn thrives despite needing to work in only about 2/3 of his usual emotional range, Kidman spends too many scenes pouting and employing an emotionally lacking forced whisper. She’s intelligent, capable, and actually hiding a few critical secrets, and Kidman has charm and good looks going for her, but in the final analysis, we care more about Keller and how he feels about Silvia than about the interpreter herself.

Also along for the ride are a fine ensemble of police detectives, hit men, supporting agents (particularly Yusef Gatewood and Maz Jobrani), and diplomats (George Harris as an exiled Matoban politician and Jesper Christensen as the country’s ambassador). None are finer, though, than Catherine Keener as Dot Woods. She plays Keller’s partner, who watches his back with particular earnest in light of Keller’s issues with his wife, which are not fully revealed until halfway through the film. Dot, the only female agent among a team of some ten FBI guys, holds her own, takes command of scenes when necessary, and fires off many of the movie’s surprising number of one-liners (listen for the running gag about Lewis and Clark).

The film works because there are mysteries in the main characters’ personal lives as well as in the political situation in Matobo, and in who is behind the attempted assassination. The performances are top-notch, even with Kidman’s shortcomings, and Pollack’s attention to detail and willingness to give minor characters their own moments to shine support an overall tone that lets us enjoy the story, even with two tragic central characters.

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