Movies In Stamford: The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower, which was based on actual events that took place in war-ravaged Bosnia in 1999, is the harrowing story of a law enforcement officer, Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), who takes a job as a peace officer to stabilize the transition.

To her horror, she stumbles upon a multi-billion dollar human trafficking operation where young girls (barely 15 years of age) are used as sex slaves until they can “pay off their debts”. Later on, she learns that some of her fellow law enforcement officers are not only participating in these vile actions, but are also receiving “pay-offs” in order to keep these brothels thriving.

To add to the corruption, military officers, local police, diplomats and international employees are all benefiting from these loathsome activities.

Her efforts almost seem to prove futile, but some interesting twists and turns in the proceedings keep the viewer totally glued to this rather distasteful picture, until the relief of the final credits arrives.

Judging from the audience who sat through this offensive venture, I could hear gasps and sighs of relief that, I must confess, I shared with them throughout this stomach-churning ordeal.

The violence (and there was plenty) proves so overwhelming that I found myself almost sickened by what we are supposed to be labeling “entertainment”.

Don’t get me wrong, The Whistleblower is a good movie, although I would never recommend it to anyone who wants to make a good impression on a first date. The actors, most notably Ms. Weisz, whose performance is stellar, are sublime. She certainly holds her own and is probably the only ray of sunshine in this dark venture.

The wonderful Vanessa Redgrave is sadly wasted in a role that anyone could have played, but it’s always a pleasure seeing her nevertheless. David Hewlett’s Fred Murray proves to be the epitome of the degenerate law enforcement officer, who is just one of many corrupt officials receiving pay-offs.

As a matter of fact, there basically isn’t one male in the whole film who’s to be trusted. Aside from some very interesting shots of a war-ravaged Bosnia, the cinematography seems to be rather static in some of the quieter scenes when Kathryn is speaking with her superiors in the confines of an office.

While I don’t generally endorse a film of this nature, I must confess that it is a picture I won’t forget, considering it’s intense violence and suspense, which doesn’t let up during the film’s 112 minute running time.

So, if social comment is your choice of film fare, I should suggest that you consider watching The Whistleblower. As for me, I found this movie to be as entertaining as witnessing an autopsy!

The Whistleblower is currently playing at Stamford's Avon Theatre. Call Avon directly for showtime, or visit www.avontheatre.org/