Parents' Guide to

Interview

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Media foes face off in intense indie adult drama.

Movie R 2007 83 minutes
Interview Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Once-successful war correspondent Pierre Peders' (Steve Buscemi) career is on the wane. Angry that he's been demoted to celebrity-profiler status, he botches an interview with actress Katya (Sienna Miller), who comes off as everything he hates about actresses. After the "interview," Pierre's cab driver spies Katya walking home and crashes. Feeling semi-responsible for his injury, Katya invites Pierre to her luxurious loft. What unfolds is a twisted pas de deux fueled by drink and drugs. The two trade barbs, eager to control the conversation. Katya is the ultimate actress, her mood lurching from high to low. She seduces and provokes, prodding Pierre to reach a thespian's ultimate goal: Make him notice. And that he does. Professing no interest in the assignment, Pierre eventually comes to want what all journalists do: the big get. And he will stoop as low and break as many ethical rules as he needs to get it. (Which is not to say he does.)

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The stars' acting trumps the movie's few flaws. The premise pulls you in, but it's kind of hard to believe that a press-hounded actress would invite a reporter into her apartment. It's equally unbelievable that a reporter who once covered war-torn Sarajevo wouldn't recognize a major battle when he sees it, never mind how pretty and perfumed the enemy is.

Sienna Miller is supremely confident, emotionally available, and eminently watchable. As Katya, she's an able foil -- and foe -- for Pierre. With only two main characters who are pretty much stuck in one spot, Interview can sometimes feel static, though it certainly avoids becoming claustrophobic. The father-daughter sub-plot feels contrived, and the ending is strangely depleted of energy. Still, it's riveting. Perhaps magazine profiles would be that much more interesting to read if interviews did turn out to be the big free-for-all as this one does.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the film's depiction of celebrities and how they live. Does it seem realistic? What about the media's attitude toward them? Why do tabloids "have" to chronicle stars' every waking moment -- and why do the celebs put up with it? What do they get in return? And what fuels our fascination with them in the first place? It's worth noting that Miller has been a fixture in the gossip columns. Did you have any preconceived notions about how she'd be in this movie based on what you've read about her? Also, keeping magazine articles you've read in mind, do you think celebrity interviews ever spiral into the drama-filled mess that this movie portrays?

Movie Details

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