Rating: 
Summary: a truly bland thriller
Review: **1/2 In Norman Jewison's tepid thriller, "The Statement," English-accented Michael Caine plays Pierre Brossard, an aging French war criminal whose past has begun to catch up with him. In 1944, Brossard, a member of the infamous Vichy regime, not only collaborated with the Nazis, but was personally responsible for the cold-blooded execution of 14 unarmed Jewish Frenchmen as well. Immediately after the war, Brossard was tried and convicted for these offenses, but somehow managed to escape before he could face his deserved punishment. In the years since, Brossard has lived his life underground, finding protection and sanctuary from a branch of the Roman Catholic Church sympathetic to his cause. And although the French authorities have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate him, Brossard has recently found himself the target of a mysterious group of assassins, possibly members of a secret Jewish organization seeking justice for his yet unavenged crimes against humanity.The idea of a Nazi war criminal still living in hiding all these years after the end of World War II has the makings of an interesting movie, no doubt, but "The Statement" is not that movie. To the filmmakers' credit, they do at least attempt to present Brossard as a three-dimensional character, a man who, decades after his horrendous crimes, is still seeking redemption through his pious devotion to the Church. Caine, in a deftly balanced performance, manages to make Brossard almost sympathetic while still allowing us to see the "monster" hidden beneath the ravaged soul. Unfortunately, the actor is let down by a screenplay that seems more concerned with tired cloak-and-dagger espionage routines than with a serious study of a fascinating and conflicted character. Even more annoying is the attempt on the part of the film to paint the entire Catholic Church hierarchy as a bunch of diabolical, self-serving individuals who are busy either protecting one of their own at any or all costs or acting out of political expediency rather than true moral conviction. Fans of "The Da Vinci Code" may swallow this anti-Catholic paranoia without question, but the rest of us can merely wonder why the Church hasn't been able to cop a break from the movies since Father Damien kicked the be-Jesus out of the devil in "The Exorcist," thirty long years ago. I'm certainly no apologist for the Catholic Church (see my review of "The Magdalene Sisters"), but even we non-believers can wonder when we will be seeing a little more evenhandedness and balance in the movies' portrayal of the Church. Certainly there must be SOME well-meaning priest, nun or bishop out there that some filmmaker might consider as worthwhile movie material. There are other problems with the film as well. Tilda Swinton, as an impassioned judge searching for Brossard, and Jeremy Northam, as a more pragmatic policeman who reluctantly joins her in her pursuit, make an annoying, constantly bickering couple who look, for all the world, like a minor-league Mulder and Scully, minus the attraction and charm. Alan Bates and Charlotte Rampling (reunited from "Georgy Girl," though the two actors never appear in the same scene together) are wasted in minor roles. And Jewison, who was once so fine a young director, fails to bring any of the scenes in this film to life. One also questions the propriety of taking a serious subject like Nazi atrocities and using it as little more than cheap window dressing for an undistinguished, run-of-the-mill thriller. "The Statement," despite another fine performance from the ever-reliable Michael Caine, is a tired, lackluster and cynical exercise, strangely devoid of meaning, conviction and purpose.
Rating:
Summary: a truly bland thriller
Review: **1/2 In Norman Jewison's tepid thriller, "The Statement," English-accented Michael Caine plays Pierre Brossard, an aging French war criminal whose past has begun to catch up with him. In 1944, Brossard, a member of the infamous Vichy regime, not only collaborated with the Nazis, but was personally responsible for the cold-blooded execution of 14 unarmed Jewish Frenchmen as well. Immediately after the war, Brossard was tried and convicted for these offenses, but somehow managed to escape before he could face his deserved punishment. In the years since, Brossard has lived his life underground, finding protection and sanctuary from a branch of the Roman Catholic Church sympathetic to his cause. And although the French authorities have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate him, Brossard has recently found himself the target of a mysterious group of assassins, possibly members of a secret Jewish organization seeking justice for his yet unavenged crimes against humanity. The idea of a Nazi war criminal still living in hiding all these years after the end of World War II has the makings of an interesting movie, no doubt, but "The Statement" is not that movie. To the filmmakers' credit, they do at least attempt to present Brossard as a three-dimensional character, a man who, decades after his horrendous crimes, is still seeking redemption through his pious devotion to the Church. Caine, in a deftly balanced performance, manages to make Brossard almost sympathetic while still allowing us to see the "monster" hidden beneath the ravaged soul. Unfortunately, the actor is let down by a screenplay that seems more concerned with tired cloak-and-dagger espionage routines than with a serious study of a fascinating and conflicted character. Even more annoying is the attempt on the part of the film to paint the entire Catholic Church hierarchy as a bunch of diabolical, self-serving individuals who are busy either protecting one of their own at any or all costs or acting out of political expediency rather than true moral conviction. Fans of "The Da Vinci Code" may swallow this anti-Catholic paranoia without question, but the rest of us can merely wonder why the Church hasn't been able to cop a break from the movies since Father Damien kicked the be-Jesus out of the devil in "The Exorcist," thirty long years ago. I'm certainly no apologist for the Catholic Church (see my review of "The Magdalene Sisters"), but even we non-believers can wonder when we will be seeing a little more evenhandedness and balance in the movies' portrayal of the Church. Certainly there must be SOME well-meaning priest, nun or bishop out there that some filmmaker might consider as worthwhile movie material. There are other problems with the film as well. Tilda Swinton, as an impassioned judge searching for Brossard, and Jeremy Northam, as a more pragmatic policeman who reluctantly joins her in her pursuit, make an annoying, constantly bickering couple who look, for all the world, like a minor-league Mulder and Scully, minus the attraction and charm. Alan Bates and Charlotte Rampling (reunited from "Georgy Girl," though the two actors never appear in the same scene together) are wasted in minor roles. And Jewison, who was once so fine a young director, fails to bring any of the scenes in this film to life. One also questions the propriety of taking a serious subject like Nazi atrocities and using it as little more than cheap window dressing for an undistinguished, run-of-the-mill thriller. "The Statement," despite another fine performance from the ever-reliable Michael Caine, is a tired, lackluster and cynical exercise, strangely devoid of meaning, conviction and purpose.
Rating: 
Summary: Please nobody complains...
Review: ,,, about the English cast. Since my karma was bad enough to have me born in France, and aside from the (good) reasons given by N. Jewison (see special features), I can tell that shooting this movie in french would have been very difficult. Although there are a few hints about in the film, nobody is really aware (part of the few who are dont want to be reminded, and worse, the other part don't want to be exposed) that the main change in 1945 was to add communists (one of the worst indignities being that Maurice Thorez, upon Staline's earnest recommendation, got his death sentence commuted in a position as a minister in the governement by de Gaulle himself...) to the Vichy dignitaries who escaped the fate they deserved. And, although it is briefly mentionned, the communists only entered Resistance after Hitler and Staline parted; their only aim was to be his position to deliver France into Staline hands, and maybe their greatest achievement was to perform terrorist attacks when and where they were certain that reprisals victims would be those who didn't share their communist vision: so they could be seen as patriots while getting rid of their opponents.
One other reason for the leniency towards french police (a good one in the short term, but a most poisonous one in the long term), was that nobody wanted to alienate in any way the only organisation thought able (?) to take care of riots and miscellaneous disorders following the 'Liberation'; and, since they were in charge of preventing witch-hunts, it would have been very difficult to make them understand they should have been investigated as well.
One should not forget, for a better understanding of the story background, that after Pie XI (pro-fascit to the core, altough opposed to racism) died in 1939, Pie XII (who was convinced that Hitler represented the last defence against communism) never condemned nazism, and even gave (through his bishops) his blessing to german armies. But, since the Roman Catholic Church was the first one to practice large-scale genocides (remember South America and the Conquistadores' mudering and pillaging in the name of God, which is the proof that the so-called "no prescription for crimes against humanity" should be better understood), maybe he felt some sort of kindred sympathy...
Rating: 
Summary: Lower Your Expectations...
Review: ...and you will find that it is enjoyable. This is an interesting plot, fine acting, fine script, but there are some flaws.
The casting was not suitable. Though Caine and Rampling are two of my favorite actors, I did not find them suitable for these roles. The movie was very British, and it is supposed to be French. I know that I am a hypocrite, since I enjoyed "The Pianist," which did not have many Polish actors, but for some reason, this one bothered me some. I guess it is because the characters look, think, and act very British...it detracted from the film a bit.
This is worth watching, though, as it is a sensitive tribute to the French Jews who were massacred during the German occupation. The story is intriguing, and overall comes off as a solid political thriller. Just don't pump yourself up for it, only to be let down.
Rating: 
Summary: Caine does ambiguity well
Review: Although his films aren't always artistic successes, Michael Caine is one of my favorite actors, and at his best when his character is cheekily likable, e.g. in THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975), SLEUTH (1972), SECONDHAND LIONS (2003). Rarely, he plays someone hateful, the most recent coming to mind being SHINER (2000). Here, in THE STATEMENT, his on-screen persona is oddly ambiguous, and it's left to supporting characters to provide the plot's protagonists.
It's June 1942, and a young Vichy French police officer, Pierre Brossard, supervises the round-up and execution of seven Jews by a contingent of German soldiers. After the war, he's charged with murder and collaboration with the enemy, but he escapes from prison, apparently aided by former superiors in the police establishment. Now, it's 1992, and Brossard (Michael Caine) lives in constant fear of exposure. A fervent Catholic, he skulks from French monastery to monastery, wherein he finds refuge with the help of sympathetic abbots and Church officials. A retired, former police official provides regular payments of money for frugal, day-to-day living. Now, Brossard is apparently being pursued by Jewish activists bent on his assassination. And if he hasn't worries enough, the French Justice Ministry has assigned a judge, Annemarie Livi (Tilda Swinton), and a police investigator, Colonel Roux (Jeremy Northam), to track Pierre down and take him into custody charged with war crimes. Are the two events related?
Pierre's wartime atrocity and his cold-hearted willingness to protect himself at any cost in the present are unlikely to endear him to the audience. On the other hand, the nature of the conspiracy against him by sinister forces, his failing health, and his sincere, if somewhat pathetic, religiousness render him an individual of some ambiguity. In the end, while Livi and Roux are the characters the viewer will naturally root for, Brossard will attract some small amount of sympathy because, perhaps, it's the popular Michael Caine in the role.
For me, the biggest problem with this otherwise reasonably intelligent film is the casting. Caine's Cockney British accent is never entirely submerged, and the other main roles have gone to Brits, most obviously Northam and Swinton. This is, after all, supposed to be France, but it might as well have been rural Hampshire! And it's never made clear why both the Church and powerful members of the government found it necessary or desirable to protect such a low-level Vichy functionary for so long anyway. Some conspiracies play better as fiction, and the Church is an ever-popular villain, especially if the Jesuits or a rogue cardinal or two are involved.
THE STATEMENT justly rates three stars, but I'm bumping it up a notch solely for Caine's performance (despite the accent). Northam and Swinton are also both effective.
One of the DVD's special features is an interview with Michael, in which he reveals that he was attracted to the Brossard role simply because he's rarely asked to play an unpleasant character not softened by his trademark cheeky humor. (I guess he forgot about SHINER!)
Rating:
Summary: UNDER RATED THRILLER
Review: Director Norman Jewison who with Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger had made the now-classical, "In the Heat of the Night," now uses an investigative thriller to similarly examine vital political and moral issues in "The Statement."
Talking to a much smaller audience in this movie, Jewison's film digs deeply into the complexities of wartime France, Nazi war crimes, members of the Catholic Church's complicity and protection of war criminals by high government officials.
The sad truth is, mainstream American audiences - and evidently most professional movie reviewers -- lack the curiosity or historical understanding to take an interest in a political thriller that delves into so esoteric a topic as does "The Statement."
Great performances by Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam produced a fast paced movie that can play well with an audience wishing to explore matters of conscience while enjoying the twists and turns of a crime thriller driven by a manhunt.
Caine, master of his character's voice and movements, makes Brossard an intriguing antagonist. Brossard constantly seeks atonement but he is unwilling to acknowledge any real guilt or even responsibility for his earlier or recent misdeeds. Killing two of his pursuers, However, the film gives little or no insight into the personalities of Swinton's judge or Northam's colonel other than as professionals dedicated to their task. Why did they care about catching the old Nazi collaborators when so many others obviously did not?
The movie is based on a notorious real-life case in France, described in a novel by the late Catholic novelist Brian Moore. The story begins in the south of France in 1944 when a young Vichy French officer, acting under the Nazi command, orders the execution of seven Jews. Flash-forward to 1992 to Pierre Brossard (Caine), a frightened white-haired man with an unsteady gait and heart trouble outfoxes a hired assassin (Matt Craven), killing him instead. Immediately, Brossard returns to an abbey where he is staying, packs his bags and once again flees.
Meanwhile, a hardheaded youthful Judge Anne Marie Livi (Swinton) in Paris, takes over an ongoing investigation into Brossard, the man who committed "crimes against humanity" back in 1944. She recruits the even-tempered army Col. Roux (Northam) but makes clear that her real targets are the powerful men who have protected Brossard throughout the years.
The movie skillfully shifts our attention among the pursued Brossard, his various pursuers and several protectors, including a commissaire-turned-wine grower (Frank Finley), a corrupt police official (Ciaran Hinds), a Catholic cardinal (William Hutt) who is Brossard's confessor and defender, and a secret group of extreme conservatives within the Church dedicated to covering up Church complicity with the Nazis.
The chase is riveting as is the film's examination of self-deception and self-righteousness. These questions haunt us today: where responsibility lies for such crimes and the role of individual conscience in collective evil doing.
Cinematographer, Jewison's son, Kevin Jewison, fully exploits the southern French locations as Normand Corbeil's hard driving music, a throwback to a Hitchcock score, helps to move the narrative.
Overall, "The Statement" is a fine film which deserved much better ratings than the professional (and many amateur) reviewers gave it. Perhaps its subject is no longer in vogue, or perhaps modern audiences lack an attention span sufficiently long to enjoy an excellent thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Underrated...but not great
Review: First of all, this film is being really smashe by the top film critics (it has a rating of 46 on Metacritic), but IMO this film is not as bad as you think. The mystery story is interesting (at times), Jeremy Northam and Tilda Swinton are EXCELLENT, and Norman Jewison's direction is uncluttered, direct, and evocative. Unfortunately all this does not redeem the film's major flaws. There is a major anti-Catholic vibe throughout, and this has got to be Michael Caine's least interesting performance ever. Remember that complexity, wit, and wisdom he brought to "The Quiet American"? None of that is evident here, although that may not be Caine's fault. All the ads are bragging how the film is "From the writer who brought you "The Pianist"!", which is ironic considering the screenplay is what makes this film not work. It's boring, unclear & unfocused. So hopefully Ronald Harwood will stop writing scripts centered around the Holocaust/Nazi-Germany and maybe expand his talent a bit. Overall, despite a few well-made suspenseful moments, and great performances especially from Northam and Swinton, I cannot recommend this film for its anti-Catholicism and tedious plot.
Rating:
Summary: Did I watch the same film as the critics?
Review: I got a chance to watch the much maligned Norman Jewison film The Statement on DVD this weekend. It's a damn fine film!!!
Without giving too much of the story away, the film is about an old Frenchman (played by Michael Caine) who is on the run throughout the south of France for war crimes he committed back in WWII. He has to excape both investigators and assassins (possibly from a radical Jewish organization) by taking refuge in primarily catholic churches. It was actually filmed in France in real churches and government buildings. Excellent Hitchcockian cinematography and music. Well paced editing and outstanding acting from Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Northam, Ciaran Hinds, Frank Finlay, Alan Bates...and especially Caine. The screenplay was expertly adapted by Ron Harwood. And, for a film with a pretty low budget, the DVD transfer (anamorphic) is excellent and the 5.1 surround sound is decent. What's up with the critics? OK, I'm a big Michael Caine fan, but that doesn't mean I like ALL the films he's in (Secondhand Lions was kinda corny, his role in Goldmember was far too small, etc.). This role is a true showcase for him. And anyone who respects Caine as an actor should watch this movie. In truth, the storyline may be hard to follow...I'm sure that's the primary problem for the critics. I had the advantage of reading the original novel first, so there was virtually no confusion for me...and the film is remarkably faithful to the novel! The novel was a bit complicated at times and I found myself having to re-read the occasional passage to keep up with the story...so maybe the film is similar in that respect. Also, a lot of critics had a problem with the fact that the English actors aren't speaking with French accents...but this has been the case with many films before (Quills, The Last Emperor, Three Musketeers), I don't know why this film should be any different...besides, I can't think of anything more distracting than listening to a bunch of actors speaking with phony French accents for 2 hours! I say take a chance on the film. It's definitely a thinking-person's thriller. I'd hate to see one of Michael Caine's best late-career performances go completely unnoticed.
Rating:
Summary: a disappointment
Review: Imagine my excitement to stumble upon a self-described "thriller" with the ever-enjoyable Michael Caine. The movie has a truly intriguing premise, with Caine portraying a Nazi collaborator being hunted some 50 years after his crimes. The movie starts with a bang, quite literally, as Caine kills his would-be assassin and escapes. But beyond that, the movie goes nowhere and the pacing is slow. Poor pacing is a forgiveable offense if the drama and characterization is there, but this movie has neither. Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam both sleepwalk through roles that lack depth. For all the accolades that Caine has received lately, they are least deserving for his performance here. His character is similarly one-dimensional and lacking nuance or a wide array of anything. In short, his character is only about self-preservation. Just because he has conflicts with God does not make him any less self-serving. As for the plot itself, it does not unravel itself well, even by the end of the film. Characters that are central to the conspiracy portrayed in the film are given little screen time and even less explanation. One understands that there is a conspiracy and who the conspirators are, but does not come away with a clear grasp of their motives. In the end, the film's biggest asset is its exposure (to this viewer, at least) of the Nazi's "final solution" as applied in France, particularly under the Vichy regime. Unfortunately, it never comes across as anything more than that and will in all likelihood be forever viewed as just another film about Nazis killing Jews.
Rating:
Summary: a disappointment
Review: Imagine my excitement to stumble upon a self-described "thriller" with the ever-enjoyable Michael Caine. The movie has a truly intriguing premise, with Caine portraying a Nazi collaborator being hunted some 50 years after his crimes. The movie starts with a bang, quite literally, as Caine kills his would-be assassin and escapes. But beyond that, the movie goes nowhere and the pacing is slow. Poor pacing is a forgiveable offense if the drama and characterization is there, but this movie has neither. Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam both sleepwalk through roles that lack depth. For all the accolades that Caine has received lately, they are least deserving for his performance here. His character is similarly one-dimensional and lacking nuance or a wide array of anything. In short, his character is only about self-preservation. Just because he has conflicts with God does not make him any less self-serving. As for the plot itself, it does not unravel itself well, even by the end of the film. Characters that are central to the conspiracy portrayed in the film are given little screen time and even less explanation. One understands that there is a conspiracy and who the conspirators are, but does not come away with a clear grasp of their motives. In the end, the film's biggest asset is its exposure (to this viewer, at least) of the Nazi's "final solution" as applied in France, particularly under the Vichy regime. Unfortunately, it never comes across as anything more than that and will in all likelihood be forever viewed as just another film about Nazis killing Jews.
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