In his fourth directorial turn, Steve Buscemi creates a distinctly New York City domain wherein revelations, deceit and erratic emotion collide. Pierre Peders (Buscemi) is a disillusioned political commentator who has been sent to write a fluff piece on slasher film starlet Katya (Sienna Miller). True to form, Katya arrives at the restaurant an hour late, giving Pierre plenty of time to get drunk and belligerent about his journalistic fall from grace. The resulting interview doesn’t go well and Katya walks out in aggravation. Through chance, the uneasy pair ends up back at Katya’s apartment. Much drinking, drugging and smoking ensues as they unravel under each other’s antagonism. It is from this point that the real interviewing begins – and not just with Pierre’s interrogation of Katya, but with her violent cross-examination of him.
There is a bohemian grit to the setting, and a jumpy edge to the film’s style that creates tension and engagement. Yet, the closeness of it all gets uncomfortable as these two flawed, unstable characters veer towards a dangerous catharsis. Fortunately, Interview runs at just 83 minutes, meaning that the audience is only trapped within the intensity of these performances for a bearable length of time.
Sienna Miller’s range as Katya is eye-opening, as she extends herself beyond sex kitten antics into explosive emotional territory, and Steve Buscemi is as curious a creature as ever. The high point of Interview, which places it firmly on the must-see list, is the final twist, wherein concepts of media and celebrity are twisted in a flourish worthy of Hitchcock. Incidentally, this is an American remake of the first film in a trilogy originally created by Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh, who was tragically murdered in 2004.
With a striking sting in the tail, Interview is an excellent showcase for the surprisingly good Sienna Miller, and director/co-star Steve Buscemi, who handles the film’s slow burning tension with gritty flair.
Filmink 4/5
