The Interpreter
Universal Pictures | Release Date: April 22, 2005
7.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 104 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
76
Mixed:
18
Negative:
10
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
stanleyh.Oct 27, 2005
Excellent job,very good performance by nicole kidman and sean penn.worth every penny to watch.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
8
TonyBOct 23, 2005
I enjoyed this well plotted and beautifully acted film immensely. It has something to say and says it in a manner that assumes its audience is perceptive and intelligent. Nicole Kidman handles a difficult role with strength, dignity and I enjoyed this well plotted and beautifully acted film immensely. It has something to say and says it in a manner that assumes its audience is perceptive and intelligent. Nicole Kidman handles a difficult role with strength, dignity and grace. Sean Penn's performance should silence those who claim he is always so over the top.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
RobKOct 6, 2005
The movie despite a weak ending, is stil a very solid, thought- provoking film. The movie at one scene got so suspenseful I had to look around the theater to relieve the amounting pressure the film was exerting on me. I thought Kidman did a The movie despite a weak ending, is stil a very solid, thought- provoking film. The movie at one scene got so suspenseful I had to look around the theater to relieve the amounting pressure the film was exerting on me. I thought Kidman did a very good job with how the character was written. Penn's character on the other hand needed to be developed more. The movie overall was definatly worth my seven bucks.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
marshallOct 14, 2005
It was amazing, it's the best hitchcock movie hitchcock never made. i love hitchcock, and this would have been another masterpeice to add to his already amazing collection of murder mysteries. dont get me wrong, it did have a mind of It was amazing, it's the best hitchcock movie hitchcock never made. i love hitchcock, and this would have been another masterpeice to add to his already amazing collection of murder mysteries. dont get me wrong, it did have a mind of it's own, it didn't follow in the foot steps of other movies, so rent it now!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
bjd.Nov 4, 2005
Held my interest. At time it was difficult to understand the characters accent, including Kidman. Sean Penn was great, as usual. Some parts of the movie didn't come together for us, but overall it's worth seeing. And there is Held my interest. At time it was difficult to understand the characters accent, including Kidman. Sean Penn was great, as usual. Some parts of the movie didn't come together for us, but overall it's worth seeing. And there is violence but most of it is quite subtle.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
SusanM.Nov 22, 2005
I thought this was a smart and suspenseful thriller, but the ending was a bit silly. Still worth renting, though.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
DaveFNov 4, 2005
Damn good movie. Keeps its head well above the hollywood-cliche quagmire. A "political thriller" with emotional intrigue.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ClintM.Oct 19, 2005
An intelligent, well-acted political thriller. Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn are the best of the best and continue to prove they deserved those Oscars. Loved it!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MichaelApr 21, 2005
Fabulous
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
Syd.B.Sep 28, 2005
God bless Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn for giving performances that should get them oscar nominations but prob wont happen since this was released WAY to early..anyway i loved this movie and will be buying the DVD when it comes out...with God bless Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn for giving performances that should get them oscar nominations but prob wont happen since this was released WAY to early..anyway i loved this movie and will be buying the DVD when it comes out...with this and The Constant Gardener, thrilers seem to becoming good again.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
beingryanjudeAug 27, 2014
A fascinating look at how different worlds collide. Nicole Kidman is daring and bold. The Interpreter is reflective of similar films of this nature; however, uses fresh concepts surrounding the United Nations and rebellion.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
alejandro970Jun 18, 2021
As a political thriller it works quite well and it is largely thanks to the cast and a plot that is careful not to leave any loose ends. The last 30 minutes are the ones that take the palms for the handling of the suspense.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
8
FilipeNetoNov 11, 2021
I really liked this movie. When I saw the names of the cast and director, Sydney Pollack, I was immediately convinced that this was a movie I would probably enjoy seeing, and this week I finally got that opportunity. It's not a perfect movie,I really liked this movie. When I saw the names of the cast and director, Sydney Pollack, I was immediately convinced that this was a movie I would probably enjoy seeing, and this week I finally got that opportunity. It's not a perfect movie, though... there are flaws, but I handled them well and managed to enjoy the best of the movie and have a nice time.

The script is really very good and engaging: with the UN as a backdrop, an intrigue of international contours develops: in a fictional southern African country, there is a president who turned from hero to villain... after freeing his country from a kleptocratic dictatorship, he himself turned into a dictator and waged civil war and ethnic cleansing with thousands dead. His direct opponents are in exile but mysteriously begin to be murdered... and, by chance, a UN language interpreter discovers that he will also be the target of an attack when he addresses the UN General Assembly in a few days. She informs the authorities, but the investigating officer begins to realize that he may have serious reasons to distrust this interpreter, and she may not be as innocent as she appears.

The film has a really well-written script that is sure to grab the attention of fans of thriller and suspense films. There's something here that reminded me of the movie "North by Northwest", perhaps because both movies focus so much on UN headquarters. It's a moderate-intensity drama, but elegant, with a good pace, but it faltered a little towards the end, which I felt was not climactic.

The cast is effectively led by Nicole Kidman. She is perfectly at ease in this role, tailored to her abilities by a director who already knows her quite well. I felt she failed to give the character a convincing accent for a white South African, with her voice slipping too much into the actress' native accent. Sean Penn's participation was equally welcome and, despite looking worn out and under a lot of stress, I thought it was good for his character here. On the negative side, Catherine Keener almost disappears in most of the film and has little time and space to do anything good. Yvan Attal is good enough, but he also has limited action in the movie, and the rest of the cast only show up occasionally.

Technically, the movie is virtually flawless. The cinematography is excellent, the footage is really well executed, there is good color, light and very good editing. The soundtrack is uninteresting, more, or less in line with what we might expect in an expensive, well-budget thriller. Composed by James Newton Howard, the only melody that stands out is the song with the African children, almost a leitmotif throughout the film. Last but not least, the film was able to make good use of the rare opportunity to be able to film inside the actual UN headquarters. The sets couldn't be better.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

62 Critic Reviews

7.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 71 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL