Today’s quick review: The Interview. Early one morning, the police drag Edward Fleming (Hugo Weaving) out of his home and take him to the station for questioning. There, Sergeant John Steele (Tony Martin) and his partner Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffrey) grill Edward about a car stolen by a man matching his description. But as the interview wears on, Edward realizes that the detectives intend to pin the blame for a much more serious set of crimes on him.
The Interview is a crime thriller about an ordinary man accused of a crime he swears he didn’t commit. The Interview revolves around two related questions: whether Edward Fleming is innocent, and how far John Steele will go to prove he isn’t. The investigation is complicated by internal politics at the police station, circumstantial evidence, and pressure from the press. The result is a tense, minimalistic thriller with a couple of good twists.
The bedrock of The Interview is Hugo Weaving’s performance as Edward Fleming. Fleming is a weak, sniveling man who’s overwhelmed by the accusations leveled against him. However, the questioning reveals a hidden strength to his character that changes the dynamic of the film. Coupled with the tension of the situation and the uncertainty over Fleming’s guilt or innocence, Weaving’s performance gives The Interview plenty of raw material to work with.
However, The Interview makes a few subtle mistakes that keep it from having its full dramatic impact. The pacing of the movie is skewed, with nearly forty minutes of setup before the story gets to its main accusations. The long build-up also short-changes the back half of the movie. The Interview has several shocking late-game reversals, but it runs out of time to play them out fully. As a result, the ending feels adequate but still incomplete.
Try The Interview when you’re in the mood for a dark, cerebral thriller with a fascinating plot, albeit a slow one to get going. The failure to make the most of its plot twists means that The Interview is outclassed by the best films in the genre, but its premise, acting, and overall execution quality are enough to make it a worthwhile watch. For another crime drama with a similar sense of uncertainty, try The Usual Suspects, Primal Fear, or Zodiac.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a strong premise and a few good twists kept from its full potential by flawed pacing.