The Interpreter (2005)
Average Rating: 6/10
Reviews Counted: 191
Fresh: 108 | Rotten: 83
A polished and intelligent thriller, though marred by plot implausibilities.
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 43
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 16
A polished and intelligent thriller, though marred by plot implausibilities.
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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 77,964
My Rating
Movie Info
An overheard conversation leads a woman into a dark world of deadly intrigue in this political thriller. Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an African émigré who works as an interpreter at the United Nations. One of the languages she understands is Ku, a dialect spoken in her home country of Matobo. One day, as the General Assembly auditorium is being evacuated for a routine security sweep, Broome overhears a man speaking in Ku, who makes a cryptic statement that could be interpreted as a threat
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Cast
-
Nicole Kidman
Silvia Broome -
Sean Penn
Tobin Keller -
Catherine Keener
Dot Woods -
Jesper Christensen
Nils Lud -
Yvan Attal
Philippe -
Vladimir Bibic
G.A. President -
Earl Cameron
Zuwanie -
Tsai Chin
Luan -
Clyde Kusatsu
Police Chief Lee Wu -
John Di Benedetto
Mechanic -
Eric Keenleyside
Rory Robb -
Adrian Martinez
Roland -
Kirby Mitchell
U.N. Security Officer -
Harry O'Reilly
U.N. Security Officer -
Byron Utley
Jean Gamba -
Jim Ward
U.N. Security Officer -
George Harris
Kuman-kuman -
Robert Clohessy
FBI Agent King -
Ramsey Faragallah
Polygraph Technician -
Michael Wright
Marcus -
David Zayas
Charlie Russell -
Hugo Speer
Simon Broome -
Pietro Gonzalez
Chilean Ambassador -
Terry Serpico
FBI Agent Lewis -
John Knox
Fred Jameson -
Maz Jobrani
Mo -
Harry W. Prichett
News Reporter -
Nelson Landrieu
Spanish Speaking Interp... -
Chris McKinney
Forensic Officer -
Leonid Citer
Russian Interpreter -
David Wolos Fonteno
Phillip Ostroff -
Lynne Deragon
American Ambassador Dav... -
Lou Ferguson
Matoban Ambassador -
Christopher Evan Welch
Jonathan Williams -
Guy A. Fortt
U.N. Security Officer -
Michael Patrick McGrath
Jonathan Ferris -
Yusuf Gatewood
Doug -
Curtiss I'Cook
Ajene Xola -
Manuel Mawele
African Boy -
Dino Mulima
African Boy -
Francine Roussel
Isobel -
Enid Graham
Jenny -
Okwui Okpokwasili
Tour Guide -
Jacques Sebag
French Ambassador -
Patrick Ssenjovu
Jad Jamal -
Paul De Sousa
Portuguese Janitor -
Martha Elliott
Woman On Bus -
Trevor Archer
U.N. Security Officer -
Ricardo Walker
U.N. Security Officer -
Bridget L. Doerksen
Stripper -
Ana Maria Lupo
Stripper -
Satish Joshi
Secretary General -
Sophie Traub
Young Silvia -
Monty Ashton-Lewis
Young Simon -
Pat Kiernan
Himself -
Margot Staub
News Reporter -
Ed Onipede Blunt
News Reporter -
Diane Winter
British Airways Ticket ... -
Litto
African Boy -
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All Critics (195) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (116) | Rotten (83) | DVD (36)
Penn is terrific in his low-key doggedness.
Top CriticThis is largely a competent, successful thriller, but observing global politics from this perspective is an uncomfortable, frustrating experience.
I was steadily absorbed by The Interpreter, even though much of the plot didn't make a great deal of sense.
While it pains me to beat up on Pollack, who, in addition to being a consistently wonderful actor, is at least attempting to make movies the old-fashioned way, it pains me more to actually sit through his movies.
As a straight-ahead thriller, the movie is enjoyable and stirring much of the time.
You're left with admirable, even noble, wreckage, but wreckage it is.
As a character drama about dealing with violence and loss, The Interpreter is a quiet success. Unfortunately, it's a thriller, and all of the qualities that make it a successful character study rob it of the tension a thriller needs to succeed.
Much ballyhooed for its on-location filming in and around the United Nations building in Manhattan "The Interpreter" works better as a captivating drama than it does as an espionage thriller due to some sticking plot points that prevent the audience from
This intense thriller is best for older teens and adults.
It's a dumb movie masquerading as smart but failing miserably.
High-class to a fault, and well-cast in every supporting role ... nevertheless burns with a very low flame.
It may not be a perfect film, but it's just nice to see a master at work.
Now we know actors are just that, but it's a little hard to suspend disbelief and buy Sean as a government agent out to foil an assassination plot, when just a few months ago he was out to assassinate Richard Nixon on screen.
Now we know actors are just that, but it's a little hard to suspend disbelief and buy Sean as a government agent out to foil an assassination plot, when just a few months ago he was out to assassinate Richard Nixon on screen.
full review in Greek
The problem with all this sneaking around is that it is rarely ever all that suspenseful.
Solid, mature and finely acted, but intermittently daft.
Nothing about The Interpreter strikes us as very original.
Not a great movie but a nice time and a welcome break from the season's nonstop torrent of interchangeable horror films and Ashton Kutcher comedies.
Audience Reviews for The Interpreter
Super Reviewer
"The truth needs no translation"
Despite liking both Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn(both of whom give good performances), I was left underwhelmed when The Interpreter was all said and done. For the most part, it was really just a dull drama with some thriller elements tossed in here and there. It never had me on the edge of my seat like it could have.
It's not technically a horrible movie, but I really found no joy in it. Other then the leads; the film doesn't really have any redeemable qualities. It's really dialogue heavy which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired.
There are a few really interesting scenes, but as a whole the movie never really comes together. It doesn't flow at a good pace. It's slow, slower and then slowest and then for a three minute stretch it will pick up the pace. Then it will go back to it's snail crawl. I'm okay with slow films if they have good characters, dialogue and situations. This movie has one interesting character(Kidman's, Penn's character was lifeless, although he did play him well), bad dialogue and two or three cool situations. I really wish this would have turned out different with the people involved. But I guess I can just go watch one of Penn's or Kidman's countless great movies.
Super Reviewer
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Foreign Titles
- La intérprete (ES)
