Set in modern France circa 1992, Norman Jewison’s new political thriller, The Statement, is a disappointing account of Pierre Brossard (Michael Caine) who, as a youngster, was a Nazi executioner under the Vichy regime.
Never been brought to trial, Brossard has been living a peaceful, anonymous life, sheltered by right-wing elements within the Catholic Church.
However, things change when a new investigation into his crimes is launched and Brossard finds himself the target of both some strange hit men and official police investigators.
Shrewd as a fox, he keeps outwitting his pursuers while desperately trying to figure out who they are.
The screenplay of the old-fashioned message film, which was both an artistic and commercial flop, is penned by Brian Moore an Ronald Harwood, which somehow mysteriously have produced a formulaic plot, despite the particular details.
In spite of the high-caliber cast–and Michael Caine’s honorable efforts to make his character interesting–the film is flat and slow, neither effective as a suspenseful mystery nor as a melodrama that tries to humanize its shady protagonist.
With Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Northam, and Alan Bates.
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 120 Minutes
