David O'ConnellInterview
December 4th 2008 03:32
Steve Buscemi’s latest directorial work sees his unmistakable features in front of the camera as well. The remake of a 2003 film by Theo Van Gogh, a Dutch director who was murdered a year later, Interview is basically a two-hander, with Buscemi as jaded, embittered reporter Pierre Peders, going toe-to-toe with the latest 'it' girl, Katya (Sienna Miller), a star of her own vacuous, but popular, TV show and B-grade horror movies.
Pierre is a political reporter whose fallen out of favour with his superiors, having been caught out creatively manipulating the truth one time too many; now he’s been consigned to the junk-heap of profiling celebrities, such as Katya, whom he detests and makes no effort to conduct a productive, researched interview with.
Katya turns up to the designated restaurant late, irking Pierre more than ever, and a half-hearted attempt at questioning and a few unpleasantries later, the interview seemingly ends, the two headed their separate ways.
Unfortunately, Pierre is stuck in a taxi with a distracted driver who recognizes the fleeing Katya and a minor accident occurs, Pierre suffering a slight head wound. A cooled-down Katya feels some sense of responsibility for the incident and offers to escort the likewise mildly apologetic reporter to her nearby loft apartment for an ice pack where the ‘real’ interview begins.
For the next 70 minutes, the two conduct a series of disjointed conversations which waver from insightful probings of one another’s motivations to rage at the shortcomings and excesses they detect beneath the other's protective facade. The contrived manner of their coming together is put aside for a while but the longer this battle of wills and frustrations continues it deteriorates into implausability.
Miller is certainly vibrant and vivacious as the gorgeous Katya, whilst Buscemi plays an unlikable role in an almost ‘straight’ fashion for him, considering the eccentricities inherent in his most memorable performances.
Inevitably the two learn more profound details about one another’s lives, but sorting the lies from the truth is no easy matter. And who’s really conducting the interview anyway?
There are a couple of neat stings in its tail, but with such a prolonged scene in a single location the film begins to lose momentum in the second half, the threats of both beginning to wear thin – and well beyond the point at which this interview would have been terminated in the real world.
Buscemi’s direction is skillful enough in the luxurious apartment setting, aided by cinematographer Thomas Kist’s fluid hand-held work, but Interview ultimately fails because it's unable to provide any convincing sense of real characterization and has little dramatic power, weighed down by its contrived single scenario. It feels padded and unnecessarily drawn out as well, even with its short running time.
It certainly does end up being a surprisingly effective showcase for the talented Miller however as Katya enticingly dances around the impotent, battle-wearied figure of Peders, teasing her way to safer terrain on the psychological battleground of her apartment.
Pierre is a political reporter whose fallen out of favour with his superiors, having been caught out creatively manipulating the truth one time too many; now he’s been consigned to the junk-heap of profiling celebrities, such as Katya, whom he detests and makes no effort to conduct a productive, researched interview with.
Katya turns up to the designated restaurant late, irking Pierre more than ever, and a half-hearted attempt at questioning and a few unpleasantries later, the interview seemingly ends, the two headed their separate ways.
Unfortunately, Pierre is stuck in a taxi with a distracted driver who recognizes the fleeing Katya and a minor accident occurs, Pierre suffering a slight head wound. A cooled-down Katya feels some sense of responsibility for the incident and offers to escort the likewise mildly apologetic reporter to her nearby loft apartment for an ice pack where the ‘real’ interview begins.
The combatants: Pierre Peders (Steve Buscemi) and Katya (Sienna Miller)
For the next 70 minutes, the two conduct a series of disjointed conversations which waver from insightful probings of one another’s motivations to rage at the shortcomings and excesses they detect beneath the other's protective facade. The contrived manner of their coming together is put aside for a while but the longer this battle of wills and frustrations continues it deteriorates into implausability.
Miller is certainly vibrant and vivacious as the gorgeous Katya, whilst Buscemi plays an unlikable role in an almost ‘straight’ fashion for him, considering the eccentricities inherent in his most memorable performances.
The war of words begins in earnest
Inevitably the two learn more profound details about one another’s lives, but sorting the lies from the truth is no easy matter. And who’s really conducting the interview anyway?
There are a couple of neat stings in its tail, but with such a prolonged scene in a single location the film begins to lose momentum in the second half, the threats of both beginning to wear thin – and well beyond the point at which this interview would have been terminated in the real world.
Turning the camera on one another to uncover the truth
Buscemi’s direction is skillful enough in the luxurious apartment setting, aided by cinematographer Thomas Kist’s fluid hand-held work, but Interview ultimately fails because it's unable to provide any convincing sense of real characterization and has little dramatic power, weighed down by its contrived single scenario. It feels padded and unnecessarily drawn out as well, even with its short running time.
It certainly does end up being a surprisingly effective showcase for the talented Miller however as Katya enticingly dances around the impotent, battle-wearied figure of Peders, teasing her way to safer terrain on the psychological battleground of her apartment.
| 76 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Steve Buscemi is an intriguing fellow. He always piques my interest, being so untypical of Hollywood, and I think more talented than we have seen so far. Sienna Miller is growing on me, I think.
Great post, you have made me feel like watching it while still convincing me of its flaws!
Michaelie
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I'd never really seen Sienna Miller before but she was definitely the shining light in this, I'm looking forward to seeing more of her now.
It's not a bad film at all, just not particularly believable.