Sydney Broome (Nicole Kidman) is a half-African, half-British
woman who has exiled herself from her native homeland of Mutobo, Africa.
Once involved in peace rallies during former days of political upheaval,
her support of Mutoban political rebel Zuwani (Earl Cameron) comes back
to haunt her when her whole family is blown up by one of his landmines.
With only her brother Simon and her left alive, the two continue to
protest political injustice in their country. But after she murders
a young boy to save her own life, Sydney puts down her gun and walks
away from Mutobo, and her brother.
With only Simon Broome left to fight for political justice, he, and
Sydney's former lover Xola, attempt to meet with Zuwani and discuss
the radical injustices wrought by his long since corrupted power. But
their meeting ends in both of their assassinations, and Sydney, now
an Interpreter at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA,
is left to wonder as to why she has yet to hear from her brother. Meanwhile,
after Sydney returns to her office to grab her things, she overhears
talk, in the language Koo of which she in an interpreter, of someone
attempting to assassinate President Zuwani in the upcoming week when
he speaks before the UN council.
Despite her personal feelings for Zuwani, Sydney Broome leaks the threat
to her superior, who assigns Secret Service detectives Tobin Keller
(Sean Penn) and Dot Woods (Katherine Keener) to the case. Determined
to protect Zuwani, a speculative Keller interrogates Broom to try to
exact to truth behind her leak. Meanwhile, Zuwani’s personal security
agent Nils Lud (Jesper Christensen) begins to investigate Broome's allegation
as well. With no-one believing her case, and several conspicuous men
following her every move, Sydney begins to fear for her life, which
no one is attempting to protect.
Not until Tobin Keller begins to suspect that Broome may be telling
the truth and her house begins to get broken into does Keller attempt
to protect Broome's life. Employing several Secret Service agents to
watch over Broome, their sleuthing leads them to identify several possible
suspects: among the suspects are exiled Mutoban political radical Kuman-Kuman
(George Harris II), and the mysterious Jean Gamba (Byron Utley).
As the deadline to Zuwani's arrival draws near, Broome and Keller begin
to exchange the haunting secrets of their past, including the troubled
childhood of Broome's past and Keller's wife's latest homicide. With
the two character grappling with their own personal grievances, they
attempt to keep a straight face in the call of duty. The ballsy Broome
goes so far as to approach Kuman-Kuman and inquire as to her brother's
whereabouts, which of course leads two Secret Service agents directly
to their latest perpetrator, Jean Gamba. But an exploding bus proves
fatal for Kuman-Kuman, and Jean Gamba is nowhere to be found until he
reappears in Broome’s apartment and attempts to kill her. But Keller
quickly guns him down only to find Broome now missing.
With Zuwani's appearance expected on the morrow, Keller orders his
agents to go in search of Broome while he attempts to solve the mystery
behind the assassinator's profile. With both his political adversary’s
now murdered, Zuwani has no true enemy that fits the profile of an assassinator,
and thus Keller hypothesizes that it will be an inside job. With a tension-mounting
climax, Broome will come face to face with her once icon turned nemesis,
Mutoban President Zuwani, as Keller and his officials race to uncover
the mystery behind the assassination threat. With a gun pointed to his
head, will Broome seek vengeance for her family members' deaths or will
she acquiesce to the Koo way and accept once and for all that life is
unjust?
THE INTERPRETER is a powerful film that addresses a very realistic
fear among today's contemporary society fueled by the ‘fear of the other’
provoked by continual terrorist attacks. Staging an African culture
and country, Pollack brings to life the Mutoban way and the language
of Koo to ground the film's premise in a realistic setting. Addressing
some rather frightening concepts "The Interpreter" juxtaposes
political, cultural, racial, and social issues into a poignant film
that offers more than one might initially suspect.
Main Characters:
Nicole Kidman plays Silvia Broome, a half-African, half-British woman
who leaves her homeland of Africa to work in New York for the UN as
an interpreter.
Sean Penn plays Tobin Keller, Secret Service detective assigned to
protect Mutoban President Zuwani after Broome leaks a rumor that a possible
assassination will occur.
Earl Cameron plays Zuwani, Mutoban President and tyrant who, though
once a radical liberator, has turned into a tyrannical oppressor after
years of power.
George Harris II plays Kuman-Kuman, political radical and Mutoban exile
who is rumored to be involved with the assassination attempts of Zuwani.
Katherine Keener plays Dot Woods, Tobin Keller's partner and Secret
Service Detective.
Byron Utley plays Jean Gamba, Mutoban rebel somehow associated with
the attempted assassination of Zuwani.
Jesper Christensen plays Nils Lud, Mutoban citizen and Zuwani's personal
security assistant.
THE
INTERPRETER ... THE DRAMA REVIEW
