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He's an old-school journalist - rumpled, jaded, and unmistakably world-weary. She's an influencer - meticulously polished, relentlessly self-promoting, and unapologetically self-absorbed. In the past he has numbed himself with alcohol; she deflects any challenge by calling it misogyny. Both are familiar stereotypes, but when he's sent to interview her, we might expect a clash that will shed light on the generational and ideological divide that exists within their shared profession. Perhaps, the encounter will offer some insight into society's current approaches to information acquisition or its obsession with celebrity. Instead however, Interview delivers a slightly unsettling romcom wrapped in a somewhat predictable game of cat and mouse. Paten Hughes does what she can with the one-dimensional role of Katya, though the part leaves little room for a real display of her acting skills. Robert Sean Leonard, as Pierre, is somewhat luckier. His character has more shading, and he manages to go beyond caricature. Derek McLane’s detailed set convincingly evokes a Brooklyn loft, but Ata Güner’s musical underscoring of various moments distracts more than it enhances them. It's unclear why director Teunkie Van Der Sluijs hasn’t simply trusted his actors to carry the emotional weight of the scenes unaided. Interview has some clever lines and some sharp insights, but they never coalesce into a deeper or more intellectually engaging theme. In the end, we're left with a cynical portrait of two morally compromised individuals locked in a mind game drama.
Rated: ★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Helen Murray
When, Where, Getting there:
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