The Interpreter

It’s not often that you get to see a film that’s based around the place that you work. Better yet, it’s even less often that your work will pay for you to see a film that’s based around your work. So when we got an offer to see The Interpreter through the UN, of course I had my hand up!

Nicole Kidman plays this chick who is working for an interpreter for the United Nations. Late one night, she has to go back to collect her musical instruments that she had left in the sound booth. Whilst there, she overhears some people plotting to kill a dictator who will soon be coming to make a speech in front of the General Assembly. Of course, she later reports this to the authorities, and Sean Penn is assigned to investigate the case. The film is then about how Penn tries to unravel who has their targets on the dictator, all the while trying to keeping Kidman protected from the assains.

I thought the film was pretty good! Of course, the most enjoyable part for me was watching so many scenes filmed at places that I see almost every day – the UN buildings and grounds, the General Assembly (and the other chambers inside the UN), Trump World Tower, and the streets of New York in general. At one point there’s a shot of people cruising down 2nd avenue, and you can quite clearly see Pescatoré restaurant – where we ate just the other night! And, right near the end, there’s an arial shot flying south towards the UN – and they fly right over our apartment building! Totally trippy.

In celebration of the film, we took a photo of us sitting in the Delegate’s Lounge having a coffee this morning. If you see the film, that’s where Penn interrogates Kidman after their first meeting. (We should have forced flash in this shot as the background was so bright; since we didn’t, the shot is a bit dark and I had to photoshop it up a bit).

Anyway, despite my bias towards the film, it’s really good on its own merits. There’s a lot of players though, and by the end I still couldn’t work out who a couple of the guys were working for. But overall, you get the picture, and it all makes some kind of sense. gerrod.com rating: 7/10.