Cert 12A, 128mins): Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Earl Cameron, Jesper Christenson, Yvan Attal, Hugo Speer. Directed by Sydney Pollack

In an imposing building located on the east side of Manhattan, diplomacy reigns supreme. Within the hallowed corridors and powerbrokering halls of the United Nations headquarters, global crises are addressed and hopefully averted.

No one appreciates this more than the language-savvy interpreters, who face the daunting challenge of conveying the intentions of world leaders from their sound-proof booths above the main hall.

Sydney Pollacks taut and intelligent thriller is the first film to be granted inside access to the UN building, where a deadly game of cat-and-mouse plays out against the backdrop of compromise and rhetoric.

Silvia Broome (Kidman) is a brilliant and gifted interpreter, working at UN headquarters. Born in the southern African country of Matobo, she speaks more than five different languages, including the little-known Ku dialect.

During a late-night visit to her booth to collect her belongings, Silvia overhears a cryptic conversation. The teacher will not leave here alive,

promises one of the men.

At first, Silvia doesnt understand the meaning of the threat until, the next day, she discovers Matobos treacherous dictator, President Edmund Zuwanie (Cameron) is to visit the UN to respond to accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Zuwanie is known as The Teacher. Alerting her bosses and the FBI to a possible assassination attempt, Silvia is taken into protective custody under federal agent Tobin Keller (Penn) and his partner Dot Woods (Keener).

Keller is immediately suspicious of the beautiful and fragile interpreter and as he begins digging into Silvias background, including her brother (Speer) and mysterious friend Philippe (Attal) he discovers disturbing facts which suggest an ulterior motive.

With the notable exception of The Bourne Identity and its sequel, The Interpreter is one of the most thrilling and engrossing mainstream Hollywood thrillers in recent years. Tightly plotted by screenwriters Charles Randolph, Scott Frank and Steven Zaillian, with obvious nods to Alfred Hitchcock, the film expertly sustains suspense for more than two hours, building to a whiteknuckle finale.

Kidman and Penn are magnificent, both delivering emotionally-wrought performances underpinned by smouldering sexual tension. Pollack orchestrates with skill, including a breathtaking set-piece which unfolds with horrific inevitability.

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