Do you want to see ‘The Statement’?

Add to Netflix

The Statement (2003)

tomatometer

All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 4.7/10
Reviews Counted: 106
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 81

The movie bores despite a splendid performance by Michael Caine.

Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 32
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 26

The movie bores despite a splendid performance by Michael Caine.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 2,053

My Rating

Added to your Facebook Timeline. — undo

Movie Info

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

R, 1 hr. 59 min.

Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

Directed By: Norman Jewison

Written By: Ronald Harwood, Brian Moore

In Theaters: Dec 12, 2003 Limited

On DVD: Apr 27, 2004

Box Office:$0.5M

Sony Pictures Classics

The Statement Trailer & Photos

Cast

Michael Caine
Pierre Brossard
Tilda Swinton
Anne Marie Livi
Jeremy Northam
Col. Roux
Alan Bates
Bertier
Charlotte Rampling
Nicole
John Neville
Old Man
Ciar�n Hinds
Pochon
Frank Finlay
Commissaire Vionnet
William Hutt
Le Moyne
Matt Craven
David
Noam Jenkins
Michael
Peter Wight
Cholet
Malcolm Sinclair
Cardinal of Lyon
Colin Salmon
Patrice
David de Keyser
Dom Andre
Edward Petherbridge

Critic Reviews for The Statement

All Critics (114) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (83) | DVD (10)

Caine bounces back and forth almost randomly between pitiable and detestable, following the dictates of a formulaic plot.

March 26, 2004 Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press

| Comment

Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Top Critic

This is a creaky, obsolete sort of film, not an instant classic, but an instant antique.

March 19, 2004 Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel

| Comment

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

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.

March 5, 2004 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee

| Comment

Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

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.

February 19, 2004 Comment

Howard Shapiro

Philadelphia Inquirer

Top Critic

An inert sociopolitical thriller mired in moralizing.

February 6, 2004 Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle

| Comment

Bruce Westbrook

Houston Chronicle

Top Critic

Cut-and-dried morality play, with the saints played by Brit actors who can't even be bothered to speak with French accents.

January 30, 2004 Comment

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Top Critic

The film operates well as a thriller and probably goes further than intended in extracting sympathy for its reprehensible protagonist.

May 11, 2009 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com

| Comment

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

... the thrilleresque aspects ... are most pleasing.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

| Comment

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"The Statement is that rare, unassuming movie that has much to say and is so daring in its message that it is a wonder it has seen the light of day"

September 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com

| Comment

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

It's hard to believe that the script was written by Ron Harwood, who penned the Oscar-winning screenplay for The Pianist.

August 13, 2004 Comment

James Plath

Reel.com

Em fun��o de sua pr�pria premissa, apresenta quest�es �ticas interessantes.

July 29, 2004 Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena

| Comment

Pablo Villaca

Cinema em Cena

Confused at its core and too befuddled to make that a virtue.

May 11, 2004 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central

| Comment

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

For the most part, though, there really isn't enough suspense or drama to make The Statement more than an occasionally chilling civics lesson.

April 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Kansas City Star

| Comment

Dan Lybarger

Kansas City Star

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Statement

View All

I really liked the narrative behind this film, however I was slightly confused as to who I should be rooting for. Opening with (and following) Pierre Brossard we can see he is truly sorry for his actions. Is that just to calm his own nerves and make himself feel better? Maybe, but he still pained himself over what he

October 22, 2011

Sophie Burgess

Super Reviewer

Cast: Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, Jeremy Northam, Ciar�n Hinds, John Neville, Matt Craven, Edward Petherbridge Director: Norman Jewison Summary: The buried sins of the past almost always find a way to surface in the present, as Frenchman Pierre Brossard (Michael Caine) discovers in

August 4, 2010