The Interview
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: B
Before his breakthrough role as the evil Agent Smith in The
Matrix franchise, he got noticed in Craig Monahan’s The Interview
(1998), a sort of Australian answer to Brian Singer’s The Usual Suspects
(1995). Here, Eddie (Weaving) is
suddenly and without explanation abducted (in Kafkaesque fashion) by the police
and taken to their station for questioning.
Confused, he is left unfed and without an attorney, then is questioned.
They tell him it is about a stolen car, but are really
interested in finding out if he is the serial killer they have searching
endlessly for. One cop in particular
(Tony Martin) has been called in especially to “get results” in this
mater. The problem is, will he go to
far and implicate an innocent man, get a guilty man, or ruin the chance if
guilty because he makes whatever he gets inadmissible in court?
On the upside, the idea is not bad, though we had seen a
smaller version of some of this in Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct
(1992). The acting is good, the look
into the Australian legal system welcome, the dialogue believable, the
screenplay (co-written by Monahan and Gordon Davie) well thought out, the
pacing right, and the location placement well rounded enough. Where this goes wrong is in being too much
of a police procedural, not enough of an actual detective film, and even
Monahan admits to not knowing how to end the film. Part of this is explained in the alternate ending included in the
DVD’s extras that others wanted him to shot.
He did, cut it many ways, then never used it. However, the ending we have is still not exactly
satisfactory. Half the fun might have
been getting there, but the ultimate problem is that Monahan is not as well
versed in the detective genre, and that backfires in a way that keeps this film
from greatness.
The picture is letterboxed, despite no indication inside
or outside of the box. Some of the text
even seems to be from VHS, like “Dolby Stereo” and referring to the contents of
the package in small print as a “videocassette”. However, the image is not bad, though it is not anamorphic. The cinematography of Simon Duggan, A.C.S.,
adds a dimension to this film that makes it more exciting. This may be a PAL master, but like New Yorker’s
DVD of the underseen The Bank (see my review elsewhere on this site),
this is another Australian film that translated well enough. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is not bad
either, playing back in Pro Logic surround, it has good ambience despite its
dialogue-based nature. Besides the
already noted alternate ending, two other outtakes with commentary option by
Monahan, text interviews and bios of the crew, the film’s trailer, and
director’s commentary are included.
There is overlap and predictability, but it is better than nothing.
Another thing to note is the odd conjuring of U.S. police
procedurals, though never thought of as that here, like NYPD Blue, Dragnet,
and Homicide (unless the critic quoted is referring to the 1991 David
Mamet feature). Usually noting those
shows would be an insult, as this is supposed to be a feature film, offering
more than TV. The film does, while most
of those shows are formula, something this film does its best to avoid. The Interview is a film worth
catching for its rising star(s) and story ambitions.
- Nicholas Sheffo
