The Interpreter Studio: Universal Studios Home Video Year: 2005 (2005 Release) Rated: PG-13 Aspect Ratio: 2.35x1, enhanced for 16x9 displays Audio: English, French, and Spanish DD 5.1; Commentary Captions/Subtitles: English SDH; French and Spanish Subtitles Time: 2:08:18 Chapters: 20 Disc Format: SS/DL (DVD-9) Layer Switch: 1:16:13 Case Style: Keep Case with locking side-tabs The Feature: Political thrillers like The Interpreter can be dangerous territory as far as movie genres are concerned. Politics by their very nature can polarize people (which is why we don't talk about them at this forum). So how can you make a political thriller that is "safe" and still have it be thrilling? You make it about something everyone can agree on, something universally bad. Then to make it interesting, you set it at a spectacular location, throw in some powerful, Oscar-winning Hollywood stars, and add an Oscar-winning director to the mix. Silvia Bloome (Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter at the United Nations. After a security breach causes an evacuation of the building, she has to return later that night to recover some of her personal effects. From a control booth over the darkened chambers of the General Assembly she overhears what is apparently a death threat, but on whom she does not know. The hot-button topic at the United Nations is the country of Matobo, Africa and its president, Dr. Edmond Zuwanie, who is accused of genocide--a policy of ethnic cleansing not unlike that of Solbodan Milosevic in Kosovo, Serbia. The U.N. security council is debating his immediate referral on charges to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Silvia, it turns out, is fluent in the Matoban language of Ku, and she is called in to translate for a closed session where the the Matoban ambassador is offered a way for Zuwanie to avoid charges. Zuwanie's people claim that the 'victims' are terrorists (others would call them resistance fighters), and they are attacking him first. The defiant president is going to defend himself by speaking directly to the U.N. General Assembly. It is there Silvia realizes that the death threat is most likely an assassination plot--and the target is Zuwanie. She turns this in to U.N. Security, who brings in the United States Secret Service. Enter Agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn), who along with his partner Agent Woods (Cathering Keener) is on the foreign dignitary protective detail. At first, they don't believe Silvia, because she is reluctant to fill in all the details of her past. When it is learned that she has dual citizenship between the United States and Matobo, she becomes a suspect--even though the most likely suspects would be the resistance leaders Ajene Xola and Kuman-Kuman. Xola is in-hiding. Kuman-Kuman lives in exile in Brooklyn, in very public fashion. Uh oh. Agent Keller, who has suffered a recent loss, finds himself frustrated by Silvia, who only seems to cooperate when she wants to, who speaks elusively about her past, and who we as an audience want to believe. As the story unfolds, and Silvia's life is jeopardized, Keller becomes more sympathetic, but even our faith is shaken as the layers of her background are peeled back. Still there is a relationship that forms between Silvia and Keller, conflict and all. And then a terrible event happens. I'd rather not talk about it here, but it is ripped from today's headlines. The realism and vitality of The Interpreter is due largely to its location: for the first time ever, a major movie production was allowed to film inside the actual United Nations. That is the actual General Assembly, and Security Council chambers, the corridors, foyers--for once, it is not just second-unit exterior shots and mere approximations of the interiors. It makes a suspense thriller just that much more compelling. The performances by Kidman and Penn are also top-notch, adding believability and sensitivity to their roles. The story would fall flat if you did not believe them. Finally, the direction, the look, the pacing, the assembly--it all comes together into a taut package. The Feature: 4 / 5 
Video: For a two-hour movie with three 5.1 tracks and a commentary, the picture quality achieved is quite good. The interior shots of the U.N. are stunning, with stylish cinematography--after all, if you are actually inside the U.N., you are going to want it to look good! The exterior shots of the U.N., including New York City in the distance are generally good, although I noticed brief and slight instances of ringing in the distance that could be interpreted as edge enhancement. It was not distracting, though--at first. Unfortunately, as I have looked closer at the picture in a number of scenes, I have found more instances of edge enhancement, and they warrant comment, as well as a reduction in rating. EE is really beginning to get on my nerves. Still, colors are rich and varied, thanks to the variety of scenery in the film--night clubs, apartments, city streets, dusty soccer stadiums, and of course the United Nations. Detail is good. You could clearly see textures in clothing, details in backgrounds. The picture is presented in 16x9-enhanced 2.35x1 widescreen. Be sure to check out the extra where directory Sydney Pollack discusses why he chose that aspect ratio for the movie. Video: 3.5 / 5 
Sound: Since I started to review Universal product for Home Theater Forum, I've been looking for a disc that pushes me over the top for the sound quality rating. My absolute reference recording would be Gladiator in DTS-ES (ranking about a 6 on my scale of 5). I also feel obligated not to penalize a movie when the sound design is secondary to the story. For example, we just have to accept that a documentary or old TV show may not show off your sound system. The Interpreter will. From the opening dust storm in Africa, to cars passing by, to the not-so-subtle placement of interpreters' voices while the U.N. is in session, to the usual sounds of New York City, this is an active Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. There are plenty of LFE and surround effects; there are subtle effects, like the chirping birds on a quiet street; and the cacophony of a busy office. The dialogue scenes, of which there are many, are represented nicely. But even when the speech has the chance of being drowned out by other factors, it is incorporated into a clean, transparent mix that sounds excellent. James Newton Howard's moody and pulsating score is also a highlight. Sound: 5 / 5 Extras: The Interpreter starts up with trailers to Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, the oddly placed Pride & Prejudice, Fox TV's House M.D., and NBC's E-Ring. You can escape them with a push of the Menu button, but are then taken to the FBI warning that you can not escape. The disc includes a variety of video supplements in 4x3 letterbox, with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. In Conclusion: The Interpreter works as a political thriller because of compelling performances and direction, but it is rather "safe" in the sense that it avoids actual current events. That's fine, though. The movie does make some rather pointed statements about the purpose of the U.N., but it also has a more fundamental theme that words can be used to heal, not in a diplomatic sense but in a personal sense. The Interpreter is a good movie and a nice DVD. Overall Rating: 4 / 5 Recommended Release Date: October 4, 2005 Display calibrated by Steve Martin at http://www.lionav.com/
