An overheard conversation leads a woman into a dark world of deadly intrigue in this political thriller. Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an African émigré who works as an interpreter at the United Nations. One of the languages she understands is Ku, a dialect spoken in her home country of Matobo. One day, as the General Assembly auditorium is being evacuated for a routine security sweep, Broome overhears a man speaking in Ku, who makes a cryptic statement that could be interpreted as a threat against the life of Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), Matobo's controversial ruler. Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) is brought in to investigate Broome's story, and it isn't long before he's convinced that she knows more than she's willing to tell. As Keller and his partner, Dot Woods (Catherine Keener), dig deeper into Broome's story as well as her past, they discover a shocking tale of violence and corruption tied to Zuwanie's regime. The Interpreter was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also appears in a brief supporting role. Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Genre: Suspense & Thriller
- Category Political Thriller, Paranoid Thriller
- Theme: Conspiracies, Protecting the Innocent, Heads of State, Terrorism, Assassination Plots, Race Against Time
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Run Time: 02 hr 09 min
- Language: French, Spanish, English
- Subtitle Language: Spanish, French
- Picture Format: widescreen
- Format: DVD
- Lead Actor: Catherine Keener, Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman, Yvan Attal, Jesper Christensen
- Supporting Actor: David Fonteno, Okwui Okpokwasili, Christopher Evan Welch, Byron Utley, Litto, Nelson Landrieu, Ricardo Walker, Terry Serpico, Vladimir Bibic, Pat Kiernan, Ana Maria Lupo, Chris McKinney, Curtiss I'Cook, David Zayas, Enid Graham, Hugo Speer, John Knox, Tsai Chin, Sophie Traub, Ramsey Faragallah, Pietro Gonzalez, Monty Ashton-Lewis, Michael Wright, Michael Patrick McGrath, Manuel Mawele, Lynne Deragon, Leonid Citer, Guy A. Fortt, Adrian Martinez, Satish Joshi, Robert Clohessy, Kirby Mitchell, Yusuf Gatewood, Paul De Sousa, Maz Jobrani, Martha Elliott, Lou Ferguson, John di Benedetto, Jacques Sebag, Harry W. Prichett, Eric Keenleyside, Earl Cameron, Clyde Kusatsu, Bridget L. Doerksen, Dino Mulima, Ed Onipede Blunt, Francine Roussel, George Harris, Harry O'Reilly, Jim Ward, Margot Staub, Patrick Ssenjovu, Diane Winter, Trevor Archer
- Director: Sydney Pollack
