Interview is less like a realistic character study than a theatrical game of cat-and-mouse, and a well-played one at that.
Interview (2007)
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Reviews Counted:120
Fresh:69
Rotten:51
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Captivating performances from Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller make a seemingly simple premise gripping and entertaining.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language including sexual references, and some drug use.
Runtime: 84 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jul 13, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $252,499
Synopsis: The plot of actor/director Steve Buscemi's INTERVIEW is devilishly simple: a political journalist (Buscemi) is sent on a clearly beneath-him assignment to meet an attractive B-list soap star... The plot of actor/director Steve Buscemi's INTERVIEW is devilishly simple: a political journalist (Buscemi) is sent on a clearly beneath-him assignment to meet an attractive B-list soap star celebrity (Sienna Miller). He makes a mess of the interview, but winds up at her Manhattan loft apartment following an unfortunate car accident. Thus begins an intriguing two-character plot arc in which the mismatched couple argue, drink, snort cocaine, argue some more, and ultimately find some common ground as they both loosen up and reveal some secrets. Buscemi's film is a remake of deceased Dutch director Theo Van Gogh's 2003 movie of the same name, and the director throws in a few neat references to the original, even aping Van Gogh's predilection for shooting on three cameras. Miller fits perfectly into the role of a disgruntled celebrity who can't contain her anger at the press, while Buscemi delivers an acting master class as the full-of-himself intellectual whose conversation is fueled by a haughty toleration for his sparring partner. INTERVIEW is a lengthy conversation piece that probably has more in common with an off-Broadway play than it does with any of Buscemi's filmmaking contemporaries, but it works, thanks to Buscemi's impressive direction and the superior source material, both of which provide plenty of scope for the two leads to flex their skills. [More]
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Sienna Miller
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Sienna Miller
Director: Steve Buscemi
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriter: Steve Buscemi, David Schechter
Producer: Gijs van de Westelaken, Bruce Weiss
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for Interview
A few scenes crackle with... intensity. The rest of it wallows in glib acrimony and cynicism.
Mr. Buscemi and Ms. Miller prove that they are fully up to the task of carrying a whole movie on their shoulders without any help from the other characters.
Like a one-act off-Broadway play that's wandered onto the movie screen...a sporadically amusing talkathon, but a pretty shallow and forgettable one.
The dialogue cuts like a knife, and the two lead performances, by Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller, have an electrifying emotional focus -- neither actor has ever been more mesmerizing.
A bitter, darkly funny little slice of arsenic, with some of the most stinging dialogue since Closer.
Steve Buscemi is a multi-talented craftsman consistently putting out good work.
A verbal game of one-upmanship that occasionally gets physical, but with an undertone of constantly smoldering sexuality.
As the action moves from the restaurant and ultimately to Katja's spacious loft apartment, Interview becomes a house guest who has worn out his welcome.
The most impressive thing about Interview is how much shock it manages to muster over the walloping nonrevelation that, now more than ever, hype begets headlines. Next up: the rich are getting richer!
Despite the fact that both protagonists are equally appalling, the screenplay seems to have a soft spot for the woman. However, this doesn't take away from the fun of watching the two characters tear each other to pieces.
Sharp dialogue and good performances keep it interesting. The film suggests a level of talent in Sienna Miller that she rarely gets a chance to show.
Any questions about Miller's abilities as an actress should be set to rest by this performance.
Despite a few interesting twists and ambiguities, the main revelation -- that the reporter is an insufferable snob -- doesn't seem worth the 84 minutes devoted to spelling it out.
Kind of fascinating, especially in the ways that Buscemi and Miller make their performances into commentaries on the types of characters they play. When actors are really turned loose to play actors, they can achieve merciless accuracy.
Though I'm not familiar with Van Gogh's 2003 version, Buscemi's is implausible and even irritating, despite some nice atmospherics and a decent performance by the director.
The end result of this showcase for Buscemi's writing, acting and directing chops is so uneven and mixed in small details and overall tone that it's anybody's guess if it's one for the Oscars or the Razzies next year.
Van Gogh has now received the most profound posthumous tribute that the American film industry could possibly bestow with this tepid and only fitfully interesting remake of his own 2003 feature of the same name.
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December 08, 2007:
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July 12, 2007:
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