Interview

The first of three films by Theo van Gogh being remade in English as a tribute to the Dutch director (murdered in 2004 by an Islamic extremist), Interview is a two-character film in which an arrogant reporter (indie favorite Steve Buscemi, who also directed) is shifted from his usual political beat to interview a superstar bombshell soap actress called Katya (Sienna Miller). The pair wind up talking the night away in her loft apartment, becoming more and more serious after some initial sparring, and eventually revealing—under the influence of booze and drugs—what appear to be their deepest secrets to one another. Of course, as in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, all may not be what it seems in this game of one-upmanship. Nothing in Interview seems remotely plausible, and the conversation, with its twists, reversals, and surprise revelations, sports the sort of cleverness that feels written. But Buscemi and Miller have fun with the script, and the former—employing Van Gogh's preference for shooting long takes with three cameras to capture the action from different angles—keeps the proceedings moving along at a solid pace. But even though Van Gogh is certainly worthy of remembrance, Interview is a throwaway—a synthetic gabfest that's ultimately as shallow as the puff piece the reporter was originally assigned to write. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director and star Steve Buscemi, a 14-minute “Triple Theo, Take One” featurette on the remaking of three films from Theo Van Gogh, a seven-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film.] (F. Swietek)