The Interview

Early in the morning the police break down Eddie Fleming's door. He is unemployed, lives alone, and does not know why he is being taken. At the station he is put in a room. Two detectives sit down opposite him and the interview begins. The camera does not leave the room. As it proceeds two things open at once: what Eddie did and what the detectives are doing. There is an investigation outside the room as well; an internal affairs unit is watching the interview. Craig Monahan directs. Hugo Weaving plays Eddie. The narrative is almost entirely in one place and rests on talk; there is no physical event and the tension comes wholly from what is said. The idea is that who holds the power keeps changing. Eddie looks helpless at first, then it reverses, and the viewer cannot tell who is telling the truth. Hugo Weaving was named best actor at the Australian film awards for the part. The production treats interrogation methods and irregularities in gathering evidence directly; the police here are not heroes. The ending is left open and no question is fully answered. Who it is for: viewers who like thrillers set in one location and performance driven films. Who it is not for: nothing happens, the pace is slow, and the uncertainty of the ending will leave some viewers unsatisfied.