The Interpreter

I was unexpectedly moved by this film. Having settled down for a routine mystery with action and a dash of romance, I was blindsided and found I was in tears for Africa and how the world is turning its back on it. It seems to me that Pollack has cleverly presented an argument for the UN in the guise of a thriller. The performances are excellent - so understated - maybe the best thing Penn has done - Kidman is pure class as usual. The thriller plot holds together but it is the underlying themes that gripped me and kept me enthralled. Surely Sydney Pollack is the most versatile and consistently surprising director of his generation in America. I was looking back over his body of work - Jeremiah Johnson, They Shoot Horses, Out of Africa, TWWW, Tootsie, to name a few, Each one is a multi faceted jewel which can be regarded from so many angles and shines from every one. His humour and humanity are second to none. I imagine the experience of shooting in Africa gave him the depth of feeling for the continent which is evident here.