"The Interpreter" is a taut thriller that has an air of authentisity particularly because it was actually filmed inside the UN Building ... in the General Assembly and the Security Council rooms. Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman both give excellent performances.
However Roger Ebert brings up a good point ... why is the role of the interpreter white? Ask yourself when you watch the movie, how would the story played if they had use a black actress?
There is a short extra on the DVD that everyone who rents those "butchered" pan and scan versions should see. Sam Pollack pleads his case that it is not fair to tell people who watch those versions that they are seeing what the directors shot. They are seeing butchered versions ... "they are not what I wanted you to see". He has nothing against the square format (some great films used that format), but he uses the widescreen format because he can tell more information per second than with pan and scan. He can show 2 people talking and still put you in the scene.
He says that when people see the black at the top and bottom they think they are getting less ... they think that they are getting better with the full screen view when the opposite is true. He demonstrates the difference by switching back and forth between the 2 formats showing that actually you are getting 50% less information with full screen. And as a result you are not seeing the story as the director tried to show you.
It is a great piece that as I said many who rents DVD's should watch!
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