The Whistleblower

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Whistleblower (2010) is a movie based on the sad but true story of human trafficking by the employees of a firm contracted by the UN to provide security in Bosnia after the Dayton peace accord that put an end to the bloody conflict in the Balkans. Rachel Weisz plays Kathryn Bolkovac, a cop from Nebraska, who arrives in Bosnia to work for this firm and is seconded to the gender-affairs department. Weisz sees the stint as a much needed change of scene leaving behind a broken marriage, plus as an opportunity to improve her financial position given the compensation that comes with such a hardship-posting.

The times are tough and the residues of communal hatred still linger - one situation shows the apathy of the local policemen towards a victim of domestic-abuse given that she is from the "other side". Weisz stumbles upon a racket of human trafficking that lures young girls into slavery who are abused by ruthless sadists -- all with the active connivance and involvement of some employees of the firm. Wiesz lone voice is silenced by the firm -- despite the support she receives from a plucky UN officer for gender-affairs, played by Vanessa Redgrave.

Eventually, Rachel takes the sordid story, of protectors who have turned predators, to the media in the UK, where the firm is registered.

Fighting workplace conspiracy that is fueled by apathy and greed can be lonesome and Wiesz portrayal of a gritty professional is engrossing. One is reminded of the roles of Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich (2000) and Laura Dern in Damaged Care (TV 2002), standing up for what is right despite being stymied by the perpetrators whose acts have the undertones of gender-bias, and suffering the indignation while staying the course with deep conviction.

The movie is spartan in production-value, driving home the truth that a good script and great performances are more than enough to tell a story.

The story makes one wonder of the risks that arise out of the involvement of private enterprises in security and policing, notwithstanding the mandates under which they operate.