Nicole Kidman Has Good Posture

Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter opened this weekend here in Austin. We saw it at the Gateway, snuggled between a guy with a serious popcorn eating compulsion, and a teenage girl who admired our purse. We ate peanut butter M&Ms accompanied by a small coke -- not a bad dinner by our standards. Yes, sometimes Austinist goes to the movies alone. And we are okay with that.

We happen to like political thrillers, so the previews for this film had us at "hello." We like Sean Penn, and, okay, we like Nicole Kidman as well. And, last but not least, Sydney Pollack directed Tootsie, one of the greatest films of all time.

The Intrepreter is not so much a thriller as it is a film about grief, identity, and the celebration of the human spirit. Doesn't everyone love a good film about the celebration of the human spirit? Here are just a few examples: Radio, Rudy, Tommy Boy, Patch Adams, and From Justin to Kelly.

The Interpreter is better than these flicks. Better than Radio?! No way, you say. Way, we say. Of course, it isn't awesome. Tootsie is awesome; this movie is okay.

Nicole Kidman's character has a wonderful wardrobe and we are sure that if we were beautiful South African UN interpreters who drove vintage Vespas, we too would dress like that. Sean Penn looks like an alcoholic. But a cute alcoholic. They both play melancholy with ease and genuineness. We want them to be happy, we really do. Catherine Keener is in it too. Catherine Keener is an acting goddess; unfortunately her role is small and underused. Of course she steals every scene she is in.

Pollack is obviously a pro. The dialogue is smart and grown-up. The characters are lovingly crafted without going over the top. It certainly does look beautiful. But it isn't going to keep you on your toes, or the edge of your seat--you'll stay comfortably reclined and relaxed. There are a few thrilling moments--a sequence on a bus is a great bit--but often the thriller mechanics get in the way of the character/political drama. One has to wonder if Mr. Pollack needed a sneaky way to get butts in the seats for a lecture on the sorry state of Africa's overwhelming civil unrest.

Austinist gives this film a solid B.