Fridae

We all love Nicole Kidman, don't we, queer folks?

Whether she's rumouredly a lesbian or not is besides the point.
The fact is, Nicole is a lovely and talented actress who has consistently
chosen to star in interesting and challenging films like Dogville,
Birth, The Hours and Moulin Rouge. If
she completes a PhD in rocket science next, would anyone be surprised?

She looks absolutely ravishing in the new film The Interpreter,
directed by Sydney Pollack — the terrific director of classics
like Out Of Africa, Tootsie and The Way We
Were. With luminous blonde hair and a stylish pair of rimless
specs, Nicole plays an intelligent and worldly interpreter at the
United Nations who overhears a plot to assasinate an African leader.

Convinced that she was seen by the plotters, she goes to the FBI
to stop the assassination and seek protection for herself. Federal
agent Keller (played by Sean Penn, who is ageing faster than you
can say "laugh lines") is assigned to help her.

If you're old queer, The Interpreter will remind you of
those classy, intelligent thrillers of the 1970s like Klute,
Three Days Of The Condor, All The President's Men
and The Day Of The Jackal. With rare exceptions (1990's
Presumed Innocent, 1993's The Pelican Brief),
Hollywood doesn't make many smart thrillers like these any more.

So it's refreshing to see one that is drum-tight, suspenseful and
— most importantly of all — doesn't dumb down for the
sake of the MTV generation. With riveting performances by the cast
and a beautiful score by James Newton Howard, The Interpreter
is the must-see of the week.