The Interpreter (2005)

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.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Martin Stellman (story), Brian Ward (story),

Stars:

Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener

4 wins & 1 nomination.

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

Storyline

Escalating events begin when U.N. interpreter Silvia Broome 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, 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? And can Tobin, coping with his own personal heartache, keep her safe? Though they must depend on one another, Silvia and Tobin couldn't be more different. Silvia's strengths are words, diplomacy and the subtleties of ...

---

Plot Keywords:

assassination | interpreter | african | diplomacy | secret service | 

---

Taglines:

The truth needs no translation.

---

Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, some sexual content and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

UIP [es] Universal [us]

Country:

UK USA France Germany

Language:

Aboriginal English French Portuguese

Release Date:

22 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tolken

Filming Locations:

Praça de Touros Monumental, Maputo, Mozambique

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,718,779 (France) (10 June 2005)

Gross:

$72,515,360 (USA) (22 July 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Working Title Films, Misher Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Matobo is the name of a National Park in Zimbabwe.

---

Goofs

When Silvia and Philippe meet at the park bench for the first time, a strand of hair across the middle of Philippe's forehead appears and reappears between shots as they talk.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Simon Broome: She wouldn't tell me her husband's name. She wouldn't even write it.

---

Connections

Referenced in Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (2007)

---

Soundtracks

"Bump"
Written by Rick Garcia and William V. Malpede
Performed by Patricio Castillo (as Zenvox)
Courtesy of Universal Studios

User Reviews

It lived up to my expectations

First of all, it would seem impossible to go wrong with this: you have Sydney Pollack at the helm, the blessings from the United Nations to actually shoot INSIDE the UN building itself (with several key scenes taking place in the general assembly room), all shot on location in the Big Apple, and to top it all off you have the best actress and actor of their generation in the lead! The result is a solid thriller, well sewn together, and veteran director Pollack wraps it all up weary neatly, with no loose ends. Just like he did with other thrillers like the masterful "Three Days of the Condor" and the entertaining "The Firm." I'm not saying "The Interpreter" is on level with those two, but it *is* an entertaining and thrilling two hours (especially a scene involving a bus is quite tense).

In the end I was really left with just one quibble: as things developed the ending really came as no big surprise. Still, that said: it's a political thriller directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. What more could one really wish for?