Rated R for disturbing violent content including a brutal sexual assault, graphic nudity and language
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Roxana Condurache
Director: Larysa Kondracki
At the end of "The Whistleblower," just prior to the credits, a graphic appears on screen telling us that Kathryn Bolkovac, the woman at the center of the film, has been unable to find work in the international community. Unable to. She's obviously tried, is passionate about her work, and strives to combat injustice wherever it lies. But I guess when billions of dollars of contract revenue are at stake, it's better to be monetarily safe than morally just.
The film is inspired by true events and involves incidents of human trafficking in Bosnia, a place sadly ideal for such atrocities to go unnoticed. The billion dollar corporate structure behind private contractor-involved peacekeeping efforts in torn countries like Bosnia seems systematically designed to minimize ripples in the establishment. Low-level workers with minimal qualifications are paid handsomely to perform thankless, dangerous, and unglamorous work with the perceived assurance that they'll silently bank their tax-free earnings and perform the necessary duties during their quick period of employment.
As the story opens, Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), a divorced Nebraska patrol officer has just been turned down for a transfer that would put her closer to her children. She needs money to finance a possible relocation, and is called into her superior's office one day and told about an opportunity that could net as much as a six-figure salary. "Is it legal?" she asks half-jokingly. A peacekeeping job in Bosnia does seem the quickest route to earning said money while maintaining a job in the field of law enforcement. (Part of the reason for her divorce, we learn, is her love for her work kept interfering with family time.) She takes the job.
Upon arriving in the war-torn country, Kathryn throws herself into her work. This catches the attention of high-minded UN executive Madeleine Rees (Vanessa Redgrave). Soon after, Kathryn stumbles upon a prostitution and trafficking ring run out of a seedy taproom called the Florida Bar. She investigates further, but her efforts are blocked. Everyone seems to be looking the other way. Even as she strives independently to reunite one of the victims with her family, the endeavor is hampered by a corporate executive (Monica Bellucci) who tells her, "we already have a system in place that works," though we don't sense a whole lot of conviction in her tone. Only Madeleine Rees supports Kathryn, and enlists the help of a former internal affairs agent (David Strathairn). But this concealment stretches high up the corporate ladder; a scandal cannot be afforded. Kathryn is relieved of her duties and discovers that not only is her credibility on the line, but her life as well.
Rachel Weisz is every bit as effective here as she was in her Oscar-winning role in "The Constant Gardener." Kathryn is a decent, strong woman who wisely doesn't wear her nobility on the sleeve; she has obviously experienced scores of testosterone-laden verbal exchanges in her time as a patrol officer, and cleverly handles the attitudes of her male counterparts as she investigates. It's only when the extreme higher-ups turn their heads does frustration mount. Her finest scene comes as she is seconds from freeing a young woman too scared to free herself. We never lose sight of the fact that Kathryn is more than a narrative catalyst; she is a woman wounded by her own personal experiences. As she pleads for the girl to free herself and a tear falls from her eye, we sense Kathryn's own estranged daughter is somewhere in the forefront of her mind.
The film is an exercise in minimalist filmmaking. Director Larysa Kondracki doesn't shoot or edit anything for phony cinematic effect. The story is presented like a docudrama. The cinematography by Kieran McGuigan is fittingly gray, forbidding, and conveys the hopelessness of the situation. This is not an easy movie to watch. The most violent acts occur off-screen, but the innuendo is no less brutal. (In one scene, a young girl is viciously raped with a pipe while others are forced to watch as a lesson. The act is off-screen, but the cries of anguish rattle the nerves.)
"The Whistleblower" is a cold, stark, unforgiving look at the various degrees of corruption, from those who commit vicious acts themselves to those who dismiss it with indolent rationale ("we're in Bosnia... this place specializes in fucked up!" one character proclaims) to those who shamelessly find it more convenient to turn a blind eye. The movie doesn't grandstand, but nor is it shy about using anger as a weapon... anything to keep us from looking the other way.
* * * 1/2 out of * * * * stars
