Interview

These days, Dutch director Theo Van Gogh is probably more famous for his 2004 death (he was murdered by a religious fundamentalist upset by his portrayal of Islam in a short film) than for his actual films. After his tragic death, however, two Dutch producers decided to return attention to Van Gogh’s work by fulfilling his dream to remake three of his movies in English with Hollywood stars. The first of these three films is Interview, starring Sienna Miller as Katya, a glowing celebrity who stars in B-grade films and television soapies, and Steve Buscemi as Pierre, the fatigued political journalist who is forced to interview her. Like all of Van Gogh’s films, this one’s focus is the relationship that develops between the two characters, as, through a series of coincidental events, they end up sharing the night together, confessing secrets and testing each others resolve.

Filmed in Van Gogh’s characteristic cinematographic style (a three-point camera system and a short filming schedule) and largely in one single location (Katya’s sparse penthouse apartment), this film feels a little like a recorded play. On the one hand, this renders the performances fresh and natural, with both Miller and Buscemi shining in roles that essentially critique their usual performance choices. On the other hand, however, the dialogue itself feels extremely artificial. Try as they might, Miller and Buscemi just do not succeed in pouring enough honesty into their performances to make up for the stiff scriptwriting. The final result is film that is obviously striving for intensity, but falling just short of the mark. As a showcase for Van Gogh, and also for Buscemi (who actually directed the film), Interview unfortunately lacks the extra punch necessary to push it out of mediocrity.

Rating: 7.0