The Interview
By Conrad Barnett
The serenity of a dimly lit room with a sleeping character slouched in his chair is broken along with the front door as a bunch of cops charge in shouting and brandishing guns. The introductory sequence of the film The Interview is abrupt and mysterious, as are the twists and turns of the story in this genuinely engaging plot.
Eddie is thrown into confusion, the police take him in for questioning, and after a bit of bullying they tell him why he was arrested and begin the interview.
Eddie (Hugo Weaving) is quiet, unremarkable and unemployed. He is probed about his activities by two police officers, Sgt John Steele (Tony Martin), a seasoned cop with a searching interview technique that keeps suspects in the dark until they stumble into admissions, and Snr Constable Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffery), a hot-headed thug whose interview technique is blunt intimidation.
The interview continues and Eddie becomes more frustrated as the police ignore his requests for food and even parts of his testimony. Eventually Eddie realises that he can take control of the interview by giving the officers what they want, and the first twist in the plot begins.
The film is stylishly shot, with clever use of camera angle, especially in the interview room. The camera movement intensifies the various moods that sweep through the characters and particularly accentuates the expressions of a brilliant performance by Hugo Weaving.
The style is noir, the diffused lighting and the black spaces that encroach on every frame setting the tone. The set is neo-Gothic, which is a little distracting at first, but creates the desired mood.
The narrative sets up a number of character stereotypes, which enable the plot twists as the stereotypes are blown apart.
Hinging on a set of interviews filmed in a single room the plot remains engaging on the strength of the script.
The cast are excellent, Tony Martin joining Weaving in an inspired performance.
The Interview is more about achieving a narrative style than about portraying the justice system. It depicts police violence and the Machiavellian power plays in the police bureaucracy, but essentially these are narrative devices, just a setting for a plot that takes you on a winding path.
It's a very clever plot, brought to life on screen wonderfully. If you liked The Usual Suspects, then see The Interview.