The Interview
Edward Rodney Fleming (Hugo Weaving) is an unemployed man living alone in his apartment, filled with stacks of old newspapers, after losing his job and wife. One morning, Detective Sergeant John Steel…
The Interview
Edward Rodney Fleming (Hugo Weaving) is an unemployed man living alone in his apartment, filled with stacks of old newspapers, after losing his job and wife. One morning, Detective Sergeant John Steele (Tony Martin) and his subordinate, Detective Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffery), weapons drawn, break into Fleming's apartment. They rough Fleming up, ransack his belongings, and take him to the police station in handcuffs. His reaction was to piss himself. They allow him to change clothes in front of them and then take him to the police station. Steele and Prior question Fleming in an interrogation room. The police claim a witness saw Fleming with Andrew Beecroft (Libby Stone), the owner of a stolen car. They also claim Fleming's handwriting matches the writing on some forged sales receipt between Beecroft and a fake buyer, and that the fake buyer's alias matches an alias Fleming used when he was a 15-year-old teenager to steal a car for a joyride. Fleming denies any knowledge of the current car theft and only meekly asks for food, as he has not eaten since yesterday. Steele offers false expressions of empathy, while Prior intimidates Fleming when the recorder is off. In between questioning, Detective Inspector Jackson (Paul Sonkkila) orders Steele to deal with an intrusive reporter, Barry Walls (Michael Caton). Steele complains to Walls about how his reckless reporting has previously interfered with police work. Walls shares that he overheard Prior questioning Steele's skills behind his back, to convince Steele he can be useful in return for information. Steele confronts Prior in private, pins him to the wall, and warns him against future disloyalty. As the interrogation proceeds, Steele reveals to Fleming that the car's owner is missing. Fleming correctly guesses he is suspected of murdering the car's owner, and that the police believe the theft is related to other missing persons cases reported in the news. Fleming asks for a lawyer. Fleming is seen speaking to his female solicitor (Leverne McDonnell). She advises him not to worry about handwriting analysis as it is highly disputable in court, being one expert's opinion against another. She advises him to make no comment to police interviewers. He asks her how long they can keep him. After she replies five or six hours, he comments "I don't think I can handle it," and asks her to stay with him. This is something she does not recommend to him as a legal tactic. While Fleming's lawyer is conferring with him, Steele convinces Jackson to give him two more hours with Fleming. When they resume the interview, Fleming begins with "no comment," he quickly caves in to their haranguing. His demeanor also grows in confidence. Despite his lawyer's advice, he expresses his belief that the missing persons were murdered, and mocks his antagonists for chasing some kind of overarching motive. Fleming hints that he might have a "diagram" after food is provided. When Steele finally provides this, Fleming proudly details how Beecroft picked him up while hitchhiking. He claims he decided to kill Beecroft on a whim. He claims he bludgeoned Beecroft after they drank together, and then he took Beecroft's car and wallet after disposing of the body. Fleming also casually admits to killing five or six other victims starting from a few years ago, claiming he doesn't remember the details although he always beat them to death after hitchhiking with them. Fleming agrees to provide a video-recorded confession as well. However, during the videotaping, Jackson walks in and asks to speak to Fleming. Fleming seems relieved to see another person. He immediately recants everything and claims he only told Steele and Prior what they wanted to hear because they brutalized him, issued threats, and ignored his pleas of hunger. Jackson forces Steele and Prior to end the questioning. They begin processing Fleming for release from custody. Later, Steele is informed that the entire day's interrogation, totaling eight hours of detention, was being filmed without his knowledge, due to an investigation by a police ethics committee ("toecutters") after too many suspects made formal complaints about his conduct. The officer in charge of the ethics review, Detective Hudson (Peter McCauley), determines that Steele's entire interview is inadmissible in court due to suggestions, false promises, threats, intimidation, inducement and other legally questionable techniques by Steele and Prior. Steele blames Jackson for ruining the interview and failing to stand up for him, although Jackson offers to testify that Steele tried to reel in Prior's aggression. Absolutely convinced of Fleming's guilt and outraged that he will walk free, Steele arranges to secretly give the entire case info and the audio recording of the confession to Walls. Steele tells Walls he does not care about the consequences since he believes he will be fired anyway. Afterwards, Hudson interviews Steele using another audio recorder. Steele accuses Hudson of a personal grudge, as Hudson led previous ethics investigations against him, too. Hudson turns off the recorder, angrily insults Steele, and tells him he will make sure he is fired. Unbeknownst to Hudson, Steele had his own recorder running and recorded Hudson's abusive comments. Steele is last seen planning how to use his recording of Hudson to defend himself. Fleming is shown departing the station, smiling and looking very pleased to be free. In the final scene, set some months later, Fleming is shown hitchhiking on a desolate road, catching a ride in someone's car.
The Interview
Crime,Drama,Thriller
Film Details
Edward Rodney Fleming (Hugo Weaving) is an unemployed man living alone in his apartment, filled with stacks of old newspapers, after losing his job and wife. One morning, Detective Sergeant John Steele (Tony Martin) and his subordinate, Detective Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffery), weapons drawn, break into Fleming's apartment. They rough Fleming up, ransack his belongings, and take him to the police station in handcuffs.
His reaction was to piss himself. They allow him to change clothes in front of them and then take him to the police station. Steele and Prior question Fleming in an interrogation room.
The police claim a witness saw Fleming with Andrew Beecroft (Libby Stone), the owner of a stolen car. They also claim Fleming's handwriting matches the writing on some forged sales receipt between Beecroft and a fake buyer, and that the fake buyer's alias matches an alias Fleming used when he was a 15-year-old teenager to steal a car for a joyride. Fleming denies any knowledge of the current car theft and only meekly asks for food, as he has not eaten since yesterday.
Steele offers false expressions of empathy, while Prior intimidates Fleming when the recorder is off. In between questioning, Detective Inspector Jackson (Paul Sonkkila) orders Steele to deal with an intrusive reporter, Barry Walls (Michael Caton). Steele complains to Walls about how his reckless reporting has previously interfered with police work.
Walls shares that he overheard Prior questioning Steele's skills behind his back, to convince Steele he can be useful in return for information. Steele confronts Prior in private, pins him to the wall, and warns him against future disloyalty. As the interrogation proceeds, Steele reveals to Fleming that the car's owner is missing.
Fleming correctly guesses he is suspected of murdering the car's owner, and that the police believe the theft is related to other missing persons cases reported in the news. Fleming asks for a lawyer. Fleming is seen speaking to his female solicitor (Leverne McDonnell).
She advises him not to worry about handwriting analysis as it is highly disputable in court, being one expert's opinion against another. She advises him to make no comment to police interviewers. He asks her how long they can keep him.
After she replies five or six hours, he comments "I don't think I can handle it," and asks her to stay with him. This is something she does not recommend to him as a legal tactic. While Fleming's lawyer is conferring with him, Steele convinces Jackson to give him two more hours with Fleming.
When they resume the interview, Fleming begins with "no comment," he quickly caves in to their haranguing. His demeanor also grows in confidence. Despite his lawyer's advice, he expresses his belief that the missing persons were murdered, and mocks his antagonists for chasing some kind of overarching motive.
Fleming hints that he might have a "diagram" after food is provided. When Steele finally provides this, Fleming proudly details how Beecroft picked him up while hitchhiking. He claims he decided to kill Beecroft on a whim.
He claims he bludgeoned Beecroft after they drank together, and then he took Beecroft's car and wallet after disposing of the body. Fleming also casually admits to killing five or six other victims starting from a few years ago, claiming he doesn't remember the details although he always beat them to death after hitchhiking with them. Fleming agrees to provide a video-recorded confession as well.
However, during the videotaping, Jackson walks in and asks to speak to Fleming. Fleming seems relieved to see another person. He immediately recants everything and claims he only told Steele and Prior what they wanted to hear because they brutalized him, issued threats, and ignored his pleas of hunger.
Jackson forces Steele and Prior to end the questioning. They begin processing Fleming for release from custody. Later, Steele is informed that the entire day's interrogation, totaling eight hours of detention, was being filmed without his knowledge, due to an investigation by a police ethics committee ("toecutters") after too many suspects made formal complaints about his conduct.
The officer in charge of the ethics review, Detective Hudson (Peter McCauley), determines that Steele's entire interview is inadmissible in court due to suggestions, false promises, threats, intimidation, inducement and other legally questionable techniques by Steele and Prior. Steele blames Jackson for ruining the interview and failing to stand up for him, although Jackson offers to testify that Steele tried to reel in Prior's aggression. Absolutely convinced of Fleming's guilt and outraged that he will walk free, Steele arranges to secretly give the entire case info and the audio recording of the confession to Walls.
Steele tells Walls he does not care about the consequences since he believes he will be fired anyway. Afterwards, Hudson interviews Steele using another audio recorder. Steele accuses Hudson of a personal grudge, as Hudson led previous ethics investigations against him, too.
Hudson turns off the recorder, angrily insults Steele, and tells him he will make sure he is fired. Unbeknownst to Hudson, Steele had his own recorder running and recorded Hudson's abusive comments. Steele is last seen planning how to use his recording of Hudson to defend himself.
Fleming is shown departing the station, smiling and looking very pleased to be free. In the final scene, set some months later, Fleming is shown hitchhiking on a desolate road, catching a ride in someone's car..