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The interview

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Two minds... one truth.

Eddie Fleming is a nobody. The sort of person you'd pass in the street without a second glance. At 5am this morning he was at home, asleep. Now he sits in a darkened and locked room.

Opposite Eddie is John Steele. He's asking the questions. Eddie's confused, scared and desperately in need of some answers... any answer. Why is he here? Who are these people and what do they want with him? But unknown to Eddie or Steele, there are other forces at work...

A stunning feature debut by director Craig Monahan, The interview is a psychological drama that explores guilt, innocence and the uncertain nature of the truth. Hugo Weaving delivers a virtuoso performance as the nervy and enigmatic Eddie Fleming, an unforgettable character made all the more compelling by the haunting score of Oscar-nominee David Hirschfelder.

Persons of interest

Hugo Weaving .... Eddie Rodney Fleming
Tony Martin .... Detective Sergeant John Steele
Aaron Jeffery .... Detective Senior Constable Wayne Prior
Paul Sonkkila .... Detective Inspector Jackson
Michael Caton .... Barry Walls
Peter McCauley .... Detective Hudson
Glynis Angel .... Detective Robran
Leverne McDonnell .... Solicitor
Libby Stone .... Mrs Beecroft
Andrew Bayly .... Constable Prowse
Doug Dew .... Beecroft
Gordon Davie .... Screenwriter
Craig Monahan .... Screenwriter
Craig Monahan .... Director

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

A little bit too much reality.

You see, in part of my interesting and varied life I was sat down in a locked and brightly lit room after being woken up early in the morning. I sat opposite two policemen and occasionally a third (bad cop) would come in and hassle me. I was confused, scared and desperately in need of some answers... any answer. Why was I there? Who were these people and what did they want with me?

It was all a bit much for a delicate little flower like me, so I complained to the various people up to and including the parliamentary ombudsman, but nothing came of it because Bill and Ben the CIB men denied everything.

My guilt had been assumed by Bill and Ben because I'd reported a crime (burglary) and they decided that I'd done so to draw attention away from my guilt. Hello? What Nazi fascist mind was at work here? Anyway, the tactics Bill and Ben used on me were the same ones being used on Eddie. If you want to know why anyone might hate the police, then here is motivation.

The script is written well enough, information dripping into your consciousness like morphine through an IV. The dark, twisting path which the characters follow is really dark and twisting, but I got the feeling that Craig Monahan had been watching more TV than film when he wrote it. All the elements for a good film are there but it ends up a tad lightweight.

Hugo Weaving is brilliant as nervy Eddie, not so brilliant as enigmatic Eddie. Tony Martin is good as psycho Steele, not so good as human Steele. Aaron Jeffrey seems to be suffering from NIDA withdrawal, although he certainly looks the part of the young-dumb-and-full-of-cum copper.

Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting and entertaining film but I suspect you'll enjoy an episode of Wildside just as much.

Security censorship classification

M (Medium level coarse language, medium level violence)

Surveillance time

105 minutes (1:45 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: 12 May 1999