Interview Details

This one's almost as bad as Craptivity

Was this supposed to be a comedy? My friend and I laughed throughout. Could it really be that bad? Well... yes. The acting is appalling- someone needs to give Sienna Miller acting lessons. Some brave soul actually walked out... good for him. It's a good thing I had a free ticket or I'd have asked for my money back! Love Steve Buscemi, but not in this. So disappointed.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Interview

Based on the 2003 film by Dutch director Theo Van Gogh who was murdered by a Muslim extremist in 2004 Steve Buscemi’s fourth film as Director is yet another in the seemingly endless chain of remakes that have been pumped into our cinemas over the last few years. This one though, unlike almost all the rest, is worth 80 minutes of your time.

It’s a two hander between Buscemi as Pierre; a journalist whose career is on the slide and Miller as Katya; a beautiful and successful actress who, much to his consternation, he is sent to interview.

It starts well with Pierre and Katya feeling each other out over a drink but really begins to get interesting once they get back to Katya’s apartment and the mind games really begin.

Sienna Miller surprised me by being brilliant as Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl and she equally good here. Katya’s moods change with the wind and the gear shifts could easily have been jarring but Miller makes it work and makes the character engaging, even if she’s not somebody you’d particularly like to be stuck with. Buscemi is also excellent the dynamic between the two works very well with each seeming to manipulate the other at various points in the film.

The problem is that after a while in Katya’s apartment the film settles into a rhythm, which soon becomes a rut. Pierre asks a question. Katya gets annoyed. Pierre goes to leave. Katya manipulates him into staying… and on and on.

The other big issue is that the revelation that the ending is hung on is easily guessed as much as half an hour ahead of time.

Interview should have been great, it isn’t, but the performances are strong enough to make its flaws feel more minor than perhaps they are.