The Interpreter

Despite well-constructed scenes and attractive cinematography, this Nicole Kidman film is far from thrilling | Andrew Coffin

The Interpreter (rated PG-13 for violence, some sexual content, and brief strong language) is a stately, pseudo-old-school political thriller that is almost completely derailed by its politics.

Nicole Kidman plays Silvia, a UN interpreter who overhears what sounds like a plot to assassinate Dr. Zuwanie, a ruthless African dictator of the fictional nation of Matobo. Dr. Zuwanie is scheduled to address the General Assembly, so Silvia relays her fears to Secret Service agents Tobin (Sean Penn) and Dot (Katherine Keener). Tobin begins to follow the threads suggesting the assassination plot may be real, some of which lead back to Silvia, a white African with a mysterious history in Matobo.

The Interpreter distinguishes itself by avoiding the high-octane, adrenaline-rush conventions of modern thrillers—leaving quite a bit of space between action sequences. That could be a good thing, but those plodding spaces are filled with the unconvincingly developing relationship between Tobin and Silvia. She professes unwavering faith in the mission of the UN and the march of diplomacy; he's weakly skeptical. Considering recent events, this could be fodder for an interesting dynamic, but that's where the political part of this thriller fails the movie.