MOVIE - THE STATEMENT - Review Rating $$$$$ $ (OUT OF 10)

STARRING - Michael Caine (Pierre Brossard), Tilda Swinton (Annemarie Livi), Charlotte Rampling (Nicole), Alan Bates (Armand Bertier), Jeremy Northam (Colonel Roux) & Matt Craven (David Manenbaum).

DIRECTOR - Norman Jewison (The Hurricane, Moonstruck, A Soldier's Story, Fiddler on the Roof & In the Heat of the Night)

Based upon the novel, "The Statement", by Brian Moore which was inspired by the true story of French war criminal Paul Touvier.

The Statement is a disappointment on many levels. Part of the problem is that the movie is an adaptation of a novel which itself was an adaptation of a true story. The end result of this creative process is to reduce the Church's complicity in protecting Nazi War Criminals to a mere plot device in a mediocre detective mystery. The film so effectively undermines the seriousness of its subject matter your unsure if The Statement is based on a true story until the very end. That is not exactly what you'd call a cinematic accomplishment let alone a fitting tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

The weakness of the script, which virtually totally fails to convey the magnitude of this travesty of justice, is compounded by the casting. The incongruity of an entirely British cast portraying devious and/or righteous Frenchmen saps the film of its remaining credibility. It's not that the performances are bad its just that you can never reconcile the British accents and mannerism of the actors with the characters they portray.

This failing is most obvious in the opening sequence. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, The Piano or Cold Mountain this recreation of a war crime is almost farcical. The Statement never recovers from this initial faux pas.

The Statement also attempts, wrongly in my opinion, to humanize its central villain. Some would argue that Brossard's (Caine) religiosity is meant to demonstrate his hypocrisy and cowardly nature. However, the portrayal comes closer to attempting to elicit sympathy for an old man who, except for a brief lapse of judgment, has otherwise led an ordinary, if not exemplary, life. What should never be forgotten, and The Statement reminds us about, is that the Brossard's of the world didn't wait for orders from the Nazi's to commit atrocities. Men like Brossard were more than happy to take the opportunity to demonstrate their viciousness without further prompting.

The only positive purpose The Statement serves is to remind and educate viewers about postwar injustices. Unfortunately, they may miss the point because The Statement conveys its historical lesson so poorly.

Running time - 120 minutes

Check out my TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2003 & WORST MOVIES OF 2003 lists.

Alternative Reviews:

Roger Ebert's Review

Peter Travers / Rolling Stone Review

Rotten Tomatoes Reviews

The Statement Official Web Site

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