The Statement (2003)
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24% of critics liked it
(106 reviews) -
35% of users liked it
(2,115 ratings)
A man who has been able to avoid the consequences of his actions for nearly 50 years suddenly finds he must answer pursuers on both sides of the law in this drama, based on the novel by Brian Moore and inspired by a true story. After France fell to German occupation during World War II, the… More A man who has been able to avoid the consequences of his actions for nearly 50 years suddenly finds he must answer pursuers on both sides of the law in this drama, based on the novel by Brian Moore and inspired by a true story. After France fell to German occupation during World War II, the Nazi-controlled Vichy government established a law-enforcement group known as the Milice, who were under the direct control of Nazi authorities. In 1944, Pierre Brossard (George Williams) is one of a handful of Milice officers who round up and execute seven Jewish resistance members in the village of Dombey. After the liberation of France, Brossard is tried and convicted for his crimes, but he manages to escape capture, and years later is pardoned. In 1992, Brossard (now played by Michael Caine) is an elderly man living a quiet life in Provence and modestly supported by fellow veterans of the Vichy regime when he's ambushed and nearly killed by a man whom he learns was a hired killer. Brossard discovers this is hardly his only problem; new legislation will allow Vichy-era war criminals who escaped punishment to be charged and tried again, and Anne Marie Livi (Tilda Swinton), a bright and aggressive French prosecutor, has joined forces with Col. Roux (Jeremy Northam) to bring Brossard, among others, to justice. While Brossard is still being clandestinely assisted by church officials and Vichy sympathizers, he must go on the run to avoid capture, and finds himself hiding from the French police as well as a cadre of underground assassins, whose alliances and purposes are frustratingly unclear. The Statement also stars Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and Frank Finlay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Norman Jewison
- Written By
- Ronald Harwood, Brian Moore
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
R,
- In Theaters
- Dec 12, 2003 Limited
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
Critic Reviews
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Caine bounces back and forth almost randomly between pitiable and detestable, following the dictates of a formulaic plot.
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Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
This is a creaky, obsolete sort of film, not an instant classic, but an instant antique.
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Connie Ogle, Miami Herald
Seems more an excuse to attack a target than an exercise in solid storytelling.
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Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Worth catching for Caine's bravura turn as a despicable old man begging for sympathy, and also for its fascinating insights into the darker side of both France and the Catholic Church.
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Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer
Partly because of Caine and partly because of meticulous work by veteran director Norman Jewison, The Statement is a fiction done so effectively, it rings true -- even slick lines that may otherwise be rancid.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Cast
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Michael Caine
as Pierre Brossard
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Tilda Swinton
as Anne Marie Livi
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Jeremy Northam
as Col. Roux
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Alan Bates
as Bertier
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Charlotte Rampling
as Nicole
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John Neville
as Old Man
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Ciarán Hinds
as Pochon
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Frank Finlay
as Commissaire Vionnet
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William Hutt
as Le Moyne
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Matt Craven
as David
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Noam Jenkins
as Michael
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Peter Wight
as Cholet
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Malcolm Sinclair
as Cardinal of Lyon
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Colin Salmon
as Patrice
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David de Keyser
as Dom Andre
- Edward Petherbridge
