The Whistleblower (2010) User Reviews (120)

Very important subject matter which is hard to watch, but must be

[chaz-28 · 7/10 · 17 August 2011]

The vast majority of the time one hears the words 'government contract' it is safe to assume it is not the best and brightest people who are volunteering to go for extended periods of time to locales termed war zones. Sure, there are those altruistic few who take up the charge to make the world a better place, but routinely, it is just someone willing to exchange six months of their life in exchange for a juicy paycheck. The Whistleblower's heroine, Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Wiesz) is one such person. She was a Nebraska police officer who signed on with a company called Democra who had a security contract with the United Nations.

For six months of her time and $100,000, Kathryn was to monitor the local Sarajevo police and advise them on proper police procedures. Very quickly, she discovers the word monitor means turn a blind eye as Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks abuse whatever power they have to continue a sort of undeclared war on each other. The Serb policemen will not investigate or prosecute domestic violence cases, especially if the woman is Muslim. Kathryn successfully leads Bosnia's first case against domestic violence earning her a more visible job as the department head for gender affairs.

Now her scope includes far more than standard local police issues. Young Eastern European and Russian girls are turning up on the streets and shelters looking severely assaulted and sexually abused. To her shock and dismay, Kathryn learns that United Nations employees from all nations are not only the girls' customers, but frequently aid local human traffickers in their transport and have an interest in holding the girls against their will.

Nobody in any position of authority ever raises their hand for a scandal, so all of Kathryn's investigations and findings are swept under the rug and she is ostracized from the rest of her compatriots who are either not interested in obtaining justice for the girls or believe so much in bureaucracy and paperwork that they sometimes send the girls right back to their rapists. On Kathryn's side is the High Commissioner for Human Rights rep played by Vanessa Redgrave and an internal affairs agent played by David Strathairn.

Frequently, the subject matter and scenes of girls undergoing sexual abuse and torture are stomach churning. The film can be relentless at times showing various punishments and cruelty. Human trafficking, especially if it involves a trusted world organization and its sleazy contractors, is an extremely important subject to cover and make films about; therefore, be ready to adjust uncomfortably in your seats as you watch downright disgusting and brutal activities perpetrated against teenage girls.

The Whistleblower deserves applause for bringing to light the company Democra which still carries out government contracts to this day. However, when the film takes a break for showing the girls' plight, it focuses on Kathryn's personal life and back story which are choppy and do not come across as fully thought out. There is her home life back in the states which she left, including her daughter, and an awkward budding romance with a Dutch security contractor. Including romance and relationships in a film with this disturbing subject matter would be tough for any director, and this first time feature director does not quite pull it off.

It will take this reviewer some time to get over some of the images in The Whistleblower; tread at your own risk. But this story deserves to be told and shown in all of its brutality.

A good movie with an IMPORTANT story to tell.

[jpurits-604-559217 · 7/10 · 26 August 2011]

Sure the production values could have been better, but I am sure this movie did not have the biggest budget either.

I thought Weisz, Redgrave and Strathairn gave good performances. But,most of all, what I liked was the raw feel of this movie, perhaps due to it's smaller budget, and the fact that it had a very important story to tell (a true story).

I can not comprehend people complaining, in their reviews, regarding the languages spoken. Who cares ? Obviously they cared more about aesthetics than the actual story.

Even with all it's flaws, it is a very entertaining, although sad, movie. It actually prompted me to do some research on DynCorp, KBR and Blackwater , 3 of the security contractors getting billions of $ from our governments while committing countless crimes around the world. So, I guess, in that respect, the movie has worked and got it's point across. Good to see a movie that actually gets your passion and emotions flowing, even if it is outrage.

Difficult yet important story

[heszyfilm · 8/10 · 29 May 2011]

The previous reviewer obviously didn't know that this is a true story. The specific victims were fictionalized, but the overall story of what was happening and what Rachel Wiesz's character went through are true. They are not a contrived, or "generic" "CSI" story.

That said, as a movie, Whistleblower delivers in telling about this difficultand important event. Some of the scenes were hard to watch, but, as the director mentioned at the Q&A after the screening I saw, it was just scratching the surface of what was going on. Vanessa Redgrave's character, though her scenes were relatively brief, really shined. I appreciated that the cinematography didn't involve any fancy styles or overly dramatic music. The director let the impact of the story itself, and Rachel Wiesz's fine acting, carry the movie.

the truth hurts

[franmol01 · 28 August 2011]

what is it that makes us human? the thing that separates us from the animals? the whistleblower doesn't answer these questions. in fact it asks the question even more. this movie was hard to watch but also hard not to. Weisz is outstanding as the woman that exposes the men with control and power over their weaker fellow man...or woman in this case. you must watch this movie for the human story. expecting to be "entertained" by drama and the like should not be your goal here, the director has done an excellent job ensuring that. if you want to be entertained then watch transformers... if you're not afraid to be moved by the real events on which this story is based, then this movie is for you.

A smart and gripping political thriller.

[Rockwell_Cronenberg · 7/10 · 9 August 2011]

These days it's become a rarity to find a political thriller that is intelligent, intense and intriguing. So when one like The Whistleblower comes along, I find no trouble in treasuring every moment of it. Rachel Weisz stars as the titular pot-boiler who uncovers a sex trafficking ring while working as a peacekeeper in Bosnia. Based on a true story, she turns over some dirty rocks and a lot of people start to get very angry. This leads to a very tense race to discover the truth and find someone willing to help her bring down these horrible men before they get to her. There's a subplot with Monica Bellucci's character that is a little dull and eventually inconsequential, but when the Weisz side of things is so gripping, it's easy to look past.

The story here is strong and every moment, especially in the final act, breathes with a wicked intensity that keeps you on your toes, but the real driving force of the film is Weisz. For some reason it seems like it's pretty hard for films to present female characters who are strong and firm in their beliefs without turning them into unbearable stereotypes. This year though we've experienced an influx of great ones that come off as genuine human beings and Weisz's Kathryn Bolkavac is another to add to the list. Especially given the fact that she plays a woman who is being constantly attacked and undermined by everyone around her, a role that opens itself up to melodramatic hysterics pretty easily. Weisz had to hit this balance of strength and broken hopelessness without going too far to make it unrealistic, and she hits every note necessary.

There's one scene later in the film that really stands as a measure to the power of her performance. Bolkavac gets within an inch of freeing these girls and exposing the truth, when out of nowhere the rug is pulled out from under her and things look worse than ever. She bursts into tears, desperate for some way out of this situation; everything she was fighting for was right in her grasp and she just gets it ripped out of her hand like two kids fighting over a toy on Christmas. This moment would have been difficult for most actors, but Weisz has matured into one of our finest performers and she doesn't phase for a second. She could have easily slipped into unintentionally comedic melodrama but instead she brings down the house and almost brought a tear to my eye. It's a devastating moment in one of the strongest, most commanding performances of the year so far. A superb performance in a taut, intelligent thriller.

I'm Not Like You

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 7 September 2011]

Greetings again from the darkness. Emotional exhaustion swept over me as this film came to an end. Based on the true experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, we see what a true hero is. She absolutely refused to turn away from the despicable actions of her co-workers and government officials.

Rachel Weisz delivers what is far and away her best performance yet. She captures the emotional complexity and strength that Ms. Bolkovac displayed. Some have stated she was conflicted, but I never saw that. I saw the character of a woman who had a clear understanding of right and wrong ... and would settle for nothing less than "right".

Kathryn, a Nebraska cop, accepts a UN peacekeeping job in post-war Bosnia. Her spirit and strength is recognized, and rewarded with promotion, by Madeleine Rees (Vanessa Redgrave) who is director of the Human Rights Commission. It is in this job where she slowly uncovers the corruption and cover-up of sex trafficking of underage girls. Even more sickening is that this most profitable business is being run by the peacekeepers and law officers being paid to protect these citizens.

It turns out that though Ms. Bolkovac was fighting for these human rights of these girls, she was also working diligently to expose the corruption of the private contractors hired to supply personnel in all aspects of recovery in countries such as Bosnia. In her situation, the private contractor was DynCorp and she had no problem pulling back the curtain on the lack of training and control exhibited by this and other contractors.

Combine that with the frustrations in dealing with bureaucrats such as Monica Bellucci's character, it often feels as if Ms. Bolkovac is fighting a one woman crusade (with a little help from David Strathairn's character). When red tape (such as no passport for the abused girls) and diplomatic immunity become major players in fending off her efforts, we get the wonderful line "immunity not impunity". That explains a great deal.

The film is directed by first timer Larysa Kondracki. Setting and tone is well captured, but the editing of many scenes left me somewhat distracted, but not to the point of annoyance. There is so much tension and exposure to despicable actions in this film that I found it difficult to relax afterward. The strength and courage of this woman will restore your faith in humanity and remind us we should never turn away from doing the right thing.

Worth to watch

[swift127pk · 7/10 · 18 August 2011]

The movie uncovers some truths which anybody wont feel better on seeing this.It shows the ugly side of UN and the peace keepers.Rachel weisz did a phenomenal acting. i strongly recommend to watch it to see the ugly truth of the peacemakers. For the director its a nice debut and a bold one. i guess Rachel weisz would get an Oscar nomination for this role.Sex trafficking in war beaten country and on those people whom they are supposed to protect were their to rape and sexually torture them.i don't know what really happened there and what are the real deal is but this movie is a glimpse of what would happened.if i am not wrong i can expect these kind of activities in other war affected countries, where these contractors and peace keepers went.

Powerful, Gripping and Heartbreaking

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 7 March 2013]

In 1999, in Nebraska, the police officer Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) sees the chance to raise money to be close to her teenage daughter, who lives with her father in another state, with the temporary assignment serving as U.N. peacemaker in Bosnia.

The idealistic Kathryn believes that she can make the difference in a country devastated by the war, and she works hard and is promoted to director of her department. But soon she discloses a corruption and human trafficking ring with the direct participation of contractors and diplomats that have diplomatic immunity and she does not know who is reliable.

"The Whistleblower" is a powerful, gripping and heartbreaking movie about corruption and human trafficking in a country devastated by the war. There are great movies about human trafficking and "The Whistleblower" has a plus since it is based on true events.

Rachel Weisz has a top-notch performance in the role of the brave Kathryn Bolkovac, whose story can be easily found in Internet. Ms. Vanessa Redgrave and the always efficient David Strathairn lead the magnificent supporting cast. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "A Informante" ("The Whistleblower")

Frustrating

[magpie1905 · 7/10 · 21 January 2013]

Im a fan of non fiction films so when I heard about this film starring the magnificent Rachel Weiss I was hooked.

As always Ms Weiss delivers a believable and approachable performance in this gritty and not for the faint hearted movie fan.

PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE END OF THE FILM

After reading the end snippets of information about Kathryn Bolkovac and human trafficking it seems that her efforts were in vain. The 'machine' has exiled her without employment to the Netherlands, the oppressors illustrated in the film were let off, and the company who seemed to be condoning this trafficking is alive and well and still making millions of dollars.

Another thing bothered me was the fact that this was grossly under marketed, an opening weekend on just 7 screens that amounted to a paltry 60K, and as of 23rd Oct 2011 a gross amount of just over $1 million is disgraceful. Why were other 'touchy' movies such as Syriana for example were marketed, opened on many more screens, made a lot of money and highlighted the message they were trying to get across were box office successes?

A film along the same genre as Syriana that is non fiction, and highlights the flaws in the 'Machine', The Whistleblower in my opinion I cant help but think was itself a victim of the Machine based on the above facts.

You have a great story, a great director, a fantastic cast, so why was it that The Whistleblower wasn't bigger? Perhaps the pea from the whistle had been misplaced???

Surely a 2nd Oscar for Rachel Weisz

[JimmyCollins · 10/10 · 13 August 2011]

So i sat down this evening at a special screening of The Whistleblower, id seen the trailer and was certainly intrigued as i think Rachel Weisz is an extremely fine actress, and it reminded me of a similar Australian film i saw a few years earlier called 'The Jammed'. I was absolutely floored by this film, so many times i was literally holding back my anger and my urge to yell at the screen.

The story is a story that has been told somewhat before but none have had Rachel Weisz, she is the pure driving force of this movie, picturing someone else in this role is near impossible. The supporting cast are also stellar, I particularly enjoyed David Strathairn's character, one good guy in the midst of all these corrupt male cops, and the actress who played Raya gave a heartbreaking portrayal of a trapped woman.

The fact that sex trafficking is still a major problem in the world is horrifying, i hope this movie eventually gets a full release in Australia as i think its a film a lot of people should see as sex trafficking is a major problem here.

Be prepared to hold back your rage and frustration....

Come Oscar time i hope Weisz gets the recognition she so rightly deserves.

In one word : Flawless

Good film about an important world issue

[maccas-56367 · 7/10 · 28 March 2019]

Difficult and sometimes frustrating-to-watch film about sex trafficking in Bosnia and Eastern Europe, focusing on a lot of the corruption allowing it to flourish. It was gritty and stomach-churning in parts, though I felt it was still a somewhat sanitized version of horrific events.

Rachel Weisz was fantastic in this role of Nebraska cop-turned UN whistleblower, Kathryn Bolkovac. Benedict Cumberbatch popped in for a few scenes too, and was somewhat under-utilized - though I didn't mind, as his character here was a jerk.

Toronto's City Hall kept drawing me out of the Bosnia setting, due to it being used as the UN headquarters here. I kept half expecting former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to come barreling around a corner to knock out one of the corrupt UN guys.

This film plays a little like a docudrama and had a very real capacity to be a whistleblower itself. While it doesn't quite reach the heights it perhaps should've, it still highlights the plight of 2.5 million people who are victim of human trafficking around the world.

A story that so desperately NEEDS TELLING!

[susanna_uk · 10/10 · 23 October 2011]

If you only watch one movie this month - this should be the one. Its not perfect in terms of putting a movie together but the glitches are very few. More important is the message and if you are not shocked and deeply troubled about our society after watching it I would be surprised! Human trafficking is something most of us all to readily assume is some minor issue that doesn't happen to those around us or is perpetrated by the supposedly small percentage of 'bad guys' around us. But men typically have a very different mindset about rape to how women view and feel about it - and I personally felt this depiction of the realities of the world we actually live in both horrifying and sadly sickening thanks to a virtually global scale of indifference and lip service! The lack of action on the part of the American bureaucratic system after what was happening was exposed (along with the European governments et al as well) to clean up the contractors and the representatives sent to these destabilised regions, all to well underlines the real attitude to dealing with this epidemic of trafficking, systematic rape and torture. Trafficking is certainly alive and well thanks to that attitude and indifference to deal with this issue (largely by men). The fact that she was unable to obtain work anywhere after this expose all to readily underlines the lack of interest in the private contractors to cleaning up their own operations... Deeply Sickening and Saddening!

A tough but necessary film

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 7/10 · 3 February 2016]

The Whistleblower is a tough but necessary film to sit through. It concerns the UN back in 90's Serbia/Bosnia, a time and place characterized by extreme human savagery and unimaginable cruelty. Now during this brutal conflict, hundreds of young, displaced refugee girls were caught up in the chaos of it all and trapped in sex slavery, which was rampant at the time, creating another tragic blemish in history made worse by the fact that the UN knew well and good what was going on and did little to nothing to stop it. It's heartbreaking material no doubt, but there's a light in the darkness in the form of UN ambassador Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) who can't stand by and watch the corruption continue, confronting her superiors which creates further friction. The thing is, in a time of such wanton crisis, a lot of elements in the equation get written off as collateral damage or acceptable losses tearfully tallied up in barely disguised apathy in service of some greater good. Kathryn's UN boss Bill Hynes (Liam Cunningham in a nice extended cameo) has this reprehensible, all too common outlook and won't do anything to help the imprisoned girls. For a lot of people in Ivory towers of detachment, the plight of less fortunate people may not seem like a cause to get riled up over. Not Kathryn. She won't stand for it, and launches a personal crusade to expose those in power who aid and allow the sex trade to survive, and bring them down. With help from two sympathetic colleagues (David Strathairn and Vanessa Redrave) she navigates the tricky, war torn personal and bureaucratic terrains to try and liberate girls who've barely begun life and have already found themselves in hell. Weisz has an innate compassion in any role we see her in, making her the perfect woman to play this character who risks all she has to save complete strangers from a horrific fate. It should be noted that there are intense scenes of violent sexual abuse here that are super tough to watch, but necessary to impart that importance of the girl's struggle to the audience. It's nice to see true stories about a single person who stands up for many others in the face of pure evil.. gives me hope for our upside down world.

PS: watch for a brief cameo from Benedict Cumberbatch.

Authenticity problems

[damirpozderac · 4/10 · 24 August 2011]

Excellent movie except for two major mishaps.

First, one would think that such an important subject would deserve at least to be produced properly, meaning, the director could have hired more than one Serbian, Croatian or Bosnian speaking actor if you are shooting a movie primarily in and about Bosnia. Perhaps it is not noticeable by most but it is highly annoying and detracting from this important subject if one knows the language and culture. At one point actors literally talk gibberish posing as if they are speaking in local tongue. The authenticity problems continue in several scenes that were supposed to be shot in Sarajevo, whereas they were most obviously shot in some American city. It is not a big gaff if you can hide it but the film fails to do so on many occasions.

Second mishap of this film is complete miscast of Monica Bellucci. Her acting bordered the worst scenes of soap opera episode that you can think of.

If you can see past those two points it is actually very good movie.

don't trust military contractors

[lee_eisenberg · 5 September 2011]

While the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia made a lot of news in the 1990s, less well known were the actions of military contractors in the region. "The Whistleblower" tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who joined a private company to serve as a peace-keeper in Bosnia, only to discover that the company was complicit in human trafficking.

The really ugly scenes are when we see what is done to the trafficked girls. It almost seems as though the movie should have focused more on them. But what is equally important to understand is not only the atrocities committed with impunity by private contractors, but the risk that whistleblowers face even today (as shown by the WikiLeaks case).

Either way, this is something that everyone should see to understand the reality behind modern-day mercenary armies.

Important topic matter, average execution in story telling ( spoiler )

[tranpjason · 6/10 · 13 December 2020]

I'm sure the reality of the real world do exist with this topic. It's just unfortunate the story could not be tighten to show it in a better manner. Character developments were everywhere and we never really got a protagonist. No one seems to care except for a handful of players so why should the audience care? We live in a ugly world as well as a beautiful one. For most people, this is not our every day life so we tend to ignore such topics. Perhaps if the victim is someone we can relate too we may buy into the narrative

Very good... watch it. Not with kids.

[aliasgarbazarwala-64361 · 7/10 · 19 September 2021]

Its a real story. You have to pay a price for being honest and good.

Heartbreaking Story...

[noahharrigan · 7/10 · 30 April 2022]

This film really caught my attention when I read the summary and watched the trailer. It had a very compelling story that really showed the character of American cop Kathryn Bolkovac, who truely tried to do what was right in a country full of war and fear. It's crazy how she couldn't get an international job again after she done the right thing! Sometimes the good can come with bad - and this story certainly proves that!

Though I thoroughly enjoyed this movie I thought it to be slightly too long. Some scenes were really dragged out; perhaps that was to prove a point. But some of these prolonged scenes lacked suspense. I thought the movie could have ended twenty minutes or so earlier than what it did.

Wow, hell of a movie and sad report on our inhumanity to each other.

[davidfurlotte · 9/10 · 10 August 2011]

Firstly, I have to say that I was greatly impressed at the quality of the movie because it was a Canadian production and to be honest, I have rarely seen us live up to the quality we are capable of achieving.

Rachel Weisz has definitely grown as an actress from her days of doing the Mummy movies. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved her character in those movies but I never would believe she could have the 'chops' to do a movie this intense and carry it off. Kudos to you, Rachel, you were magnificent.

To the reviewer that thought this was some kind of "CSI" movie, I have to agree with another reviewer. OBVIOUSLY, you need to buy a clue and realize that this was not just some fairy tale; it was a very dark, real, portrayal of human trafficking that is going on all around us.

But this movie was more than just a story, it is a report on an INTERNATIONAL organization that is supposed to PROTECT the helpless not only turning a blind eye, but actually becoming INVOLVED in something that 55 years ago, people were being tried and hung for in Nuremburg.

As a resident of Markham, just northeast of Toronto, I had to chuckle when I saw them using Toronto City Hall as the U.N. offices in Bosnia but I'm sure that only Toronto residents would recognize the interior.

Overall, an excellent movie, worthy of many awards and I only hope that many more people will see it and realize how serious a problem we have on our hands. Please do give it a watch. I now find myself having to watch "Taken" because I need something to uplift me a bit and make me think there is someone out there that can do something righteous against these human trafficking scum.

Compelling and informative thriller

[adamonIMDb · 7/10 · 3 June 2017]

'The Whistleblower' is based on the true story of human trafficking in Bosnia during the war. The film does this sensitive topic justice with a strong script and a brilliant lead performance from Rachel Weisz, who delivers a convincing performance as police officer Kathryn Bolkovac.

Not only is this a compelling film but it's also very informative and raises awareness of the subject matter. You don't need any prior knowledge of what happened to be able to follow and understand this film, which is not always the case with films based on true stories.

Overall, 'The Whistleblower' is a very well-made, compelling and informative film, recommended for those who want to learn more about this difficult subject matter.

Harsh Realities Exposed

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 22 January 2012]

THE WHISTLEBLOWER is a film that kicks you in the stomach and then continues to play out the worst possible truths that we'd rather not admit exist. The theme of the film is Human Trafficking, and apparently there are about 2.5 million victims around the world today - young people who are sold into sexual slavery for the financial gain of people from all areas of life, including our own government, the International Practices Task Force, and contracted companies supported by the US Government to rebuild who are assigned to third world countries and countries besieged by or recovering from war, and in our own cities in this country. This film is based on a true story, a story written (and discussed in the bonus track on the DVD) by Kathryn Bolkovac who was transferred from her police job in Lincoln, Nebraska to Bosnia (with the promise of $100,000. and a six month term) to monitor the local Sarajevo police and advise them on proper police procedures. Bolkovac's story was written for the screen by Eilis Kirwan and director Larysa Kondracki who also directed the story with stinging reality.

Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) is a recently divorced mother of a young girl who has lost custody of her daughter because of her constant commitment to her job. When she is offered a lot of money and an advancement if she will go to Bosnia on a special assignment she accepts, feeling that if she ha money she can return home to live close to her young daughter. When she arrives in Sarajevo she is treated with distance from the colleagues with whom she will be working. Her first accomplishment is bringing to justice the abuse of a Muslim woman who has been constantly a victim of spousal abuse - something not considered a crime until Kathryn proves it in court. She soon discovers that there is a human trafficking problem in Bosnia where young girls are brought into the country, sold as sex slaves to tend to the needs and whims and cruel and often sadistic whims of the IPTF (International Practices Task Force) as well as the US and international soldiers assigned by the UN to cover the recovery of Bosnia. She visits the bars where the girls are kept, finds evidence of physical violence and abuse in the filth of the atrocious living conditions the girls are subjected to, and begins her attempts to save the girls - particularly Raya (Roxana Condurache) and Luba (Paula Schramm) whom she promises to protect if they will testify about their conditions. Kathryn seeks solace from a Dutch compatriot boyfriend Jan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and takes her case to the UN person in charge (Monica Bellucci) who is a by-the- rules leader and cannot offer help to Kathryn. Kathryn is contacted by Madeleine Rees (Vanessa Redgrave), the High Commissioner for Human Rights who aids her in her plight and puts her in contact with Peter Ward (David Strathairn), in Internal Affairs chief of the UN complex. Kathryn finally discovers that the perpetrators of the human trafficking are the very people with whom she works and she is ultimately fired from her position. But before she leaves she releases the documents she has created that prove the victims of human trafficking are under the direction and service of the employees of the UN - in many ways her dangerous mission has been accomplished and the Democra, a security contractor, is exposed.

Rachel Weisz brings a very human quality to her role, making her transformation into a heroine for the abused victims all the more credible. Her performance is outstanding - and in the conversation with the real life Kathryn Bolkovac in the bonus feature with the film the manner in which Weisz succeeded in her role is all the more impressive. This is a tough movie to watch, but it is a necessary statement to make the heinous crime of human trafficking more widely known and punished throughout the world. Highly Recommended.

Grady Harp

Deserved a better film

[johnklem · 6/10 · 5 June 2012]

The cast and story deserved better than this. The director's inexperience shows in the heavy-handed and sometimes melodramatic treatment this deeply disturbing episode is given. It works best as a conspiracy thriller and there are genuinely suspenseful moments but the filmmaker'a agenda is too obvious. From the opening scenes, this is clearly about women suffering in a man's world and that message is repeated over and over again. An experienced director, or one with more distance from the script, would have wooed his or her audience rather than assaulting them and the message would have been all the more effective.

Human Trafficking is not important...apparently!!!

[loco_73 · 8/10 · 5 December 2011]

"The Whistleblower" is another of those movies that fall under the category of "important", which seem to have been discarded and buried by the studios with little or no promotion or press as to its release. It brings to mind movies like "Without A Name", "Shake Hands With The Devil" and a few others.

It is almost as if the studios and all other parties involved are embarrassed by this movie and having made it in the first place, so they chose the middle of summer to bring it to screen, and worse, on as few of them as possible. Buried amongst a slew of popcorn blockbusters and big title releases, this movie disappeared quickly from movie theatres and from people's awareness, as it appears was intended.

Its subject matter is not an easy one, as it deals with one of humanity's scourges, namely human trafficking, a phrase which seems to be more acceptable and suited to our modern day sensibilities and political correctness, a scourge that I, myself, like to call it for what it actually is...slavery.

Yes folks, if you thought that slavery is buried and gone, you are dead wrong! It still thrives and it is as cruel, barbaric and dehumanizing as ever. Faces, places and dates might have changed, but the basic cruelty and oppression upon which slavery is based has remained.

Though the story is set over 10 years ago, most of the subject matter is as relevant today as it was then, as is the urgency to deal with this dark and on-going chapter of human history, one which our "civilized" world apparently continues to tolerate and allows to exist.

The wonderful cast, Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Regrave, Monica Bellucci and David Strathairn among them, tries to bring some humanity and context to this depressingly realistic take on the trafficking and sale of human beings, in this instance women from the former Yugoslavia and the rest of the Eastern European bloc.

The movie is as bleak as the topic it tackles, and as devoid of a clear-cut resolution or triumph as in real life. Every small success is counteracted by more disappointment, failure and a deep sense of impotence and frustration at the inability to do anything about it. The identity and nature of the parties involved and partaking in this cruel and inhumane enterprise is all the more shocking and discouraging. It is literally one step forward and two steps backward...to put it mildly.

If you are looking for some story of heroism or some silver lining, be forewarned...there is none. Still, I would like to challenge people outhere to see this movie for themselves, rent it, buy it, watch it on-demand, stream it on the internet, whatever! I feel that this film deserves more attention from as many people as possible.

If enough of us see it and if any of it permeates into our consciousness, then perhaps we will at least be more aware of the world we inhabit, better yet, some brave souls might even decide to do something about it!

Who knew this was going on

[phd_travel · 6/10 · 4 September 2012]

This isn't about the ethnic violence in Bosnia. There have been other movies about that. It's about the contract companies that are there for peacekeeping and some of it's employees who traffic women for prostitution. It's a crime that many might not have known is going on.

Rachel Weisz is rather a strange choice. She comes across as rather European both in looks and manner - not a cop from the mid West. She just can't do a convincing American accent. She looks nothing like the real person either.

Some faults. The plot line dealing with the girls seemed a bit muddled. The movie had too much time spent on what Rachel Weisz's character did prior to blowing the whistle. Not enough was shown about the actual lawsuit and effects.

Overall a decent movie highlighting the issue.

What the...

[emirco-2 · 1/10 · 22 August 2011]

First things first, I did not watch the entire movie. Why?

I sat down to watch it with an open mind but what really got me going off like 15-odd minutes into the movie is that us Bosnians are supposed to speak Ukraininan? I mean, was it really IMPOSSIBLE to hire actors that actually speak the local language or at least coach the ones you have chosen? Great blow credibility-wise. Just taking actors that speak some Imperceptible-Russian sounding-language and tagging this fact as unimportant is plain wrong.

If you are not going to stick to the story as you should then do not make a movie at all, or at least do not claim it takes place in Bosnia.