The Whistleblower (2010)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 113
Fresh: 83 | Rotten: 30
Rachel Weisz puts on a compelling smoldering act though the film suffers from a literal-minded approach to the material.
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 33
Fresh: 21 | Rotten: 12
Rachel Weisz puts on a compelling smoldering act though the film suffers from a literal-minded approach to the material.
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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 11,117
My Rating
Movie Info
This ripped-from-the-headlines thriller is inspired by actual events. Kathy Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) is a Nebraskan police officer who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she uncovers a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue amid a world of private contractors and multinational diplomatic doubletalk. -- (C) Samuel Goldwyn
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Cast
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Rachel Weisz
Kathryn Bolkovac, Kathy... -
Vanessa Redgrave
Madeleine Rees -
Monica Bellucci
Laura Leviani, Laural L... -
David Strathairn
Peter Ward -
Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Jan Van Der Velde -
Roxana Condurache
Raya -
Paula Schramm
Luba -
Alexandru Potocean
Viko -
William Hope
Blakely -
Rayisa Kondracki
Irka -
Jeanette Hain
Halyna -
Benedict Cumberbatch
Nick Kaufman -
David Hewlett
Fred Murray -
Coca Bloos
Milena -
Luke Treadaway
Jim Higgins -
Liam Cunningham
Bill Hynes -
Anna Anissimova
Zoe -
Anca Androne
Zenia -
Sergej Trifunovic
Ivan -
Vlad Ivanov
Tanjo -
Florin Busuioc
Danik -
Alin Panc
Roman -
Victoria Raileanu
Julia -
Doroteea Petre
Mara -
-
Roxana Guttmann
Zlata Sehik -
Stuart Graham
McVeigh -
Catherine McNally
Female Cop -
Geoffrey Pounsett
UN Security Guard -
Alexandra Radescu
Tanya -
Radu Binzaru
Barman -
Zoltan Butuc
Man #1 -
Ciprian Dumitrascu
Man #2 -
Mihai Ghior
Intern -
Sabrina Iaschevici
17-Year-Old Girl -
Cristina Christian
Fadila -
Raluca Tataru
Girl #2 -
Bianca Neagu
Girl #3 -
Ion Sapdaru
Border Guard -
Ionut Grama
Human Rights Worker -
Paul Jerricho
Tim Sebastian -
Demitri Goritsas
Kyle -
Pilou Asbaek
Bas -
Adriana Butoi
Marie -
Danny John-Jules
Duke -
Bryan Jardine
Judge Twiss -
Erwin Simsensohn
Drunk IPTF Officer
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The Whistleblower Trailer & Photos
All Critics (115) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (30) | DVD (4)
A first-rate one-woman-against-the-system drama, a film benefiting from grim recreations of an ugly reality and a stellar cast determined to expose it.
Top CriticIn Weisz's eyes, we see Kathryn's transformation from a public servant doing what's expected of her to a crusader driven to by her own conscience. Her performance is terrific; the movie, sadly, is not.
"The Whistleblower'' effectively depicts the paranoia that builds as an increasingly frustrated and outraged Bolkovac is thwarted at every turn.
Powerful and revolting, The Whistleblower makes you feel as if it could have been even more powerful and revolting.
You come away from watching the film with a moral bellyache.
Part thriller and part harrowing account of an outrageous, based-on-facts story of official corruption in the former Yugoslavia, "The Whistleblower" is a tense and shattering drama.
A dark, uncompromising look into the disturbing world of human trafficking.
Weisz's best role, and best performance, since "The Constant Gardener.
The thriller stuff is very soft, and the docudrama stuff is too focused on "Oscar moments" (i.e. huge expressions of outrage and torment).
Yes, The Whistleblower has its heart in the right place. However, that heart is bleeding a little too much.
The Whistleblower goes off the rails a little -- I guess in an attempt to create more drama out of an already dramatic situation. As the plot devices pile up towards the end, it's a bit frustrating because there's a good movie in there somewhere.
This is bleak terrain, but Weisz's performance helps us get through it. And as real-story films go, The Whistleblower is as accurate as can be.
Weisz is made for this kind of role; from "Constant Gardener" to "Enemy at the Gates," few actors can do absolute, unshakable conviction so well on screen.
A reasonably taut story of political intrigue, international corruption and one woman's determined fight for justice
The closing minutes of the film suggest the most challenging parts of the story still remains untold.
Don't let the impressive cast list, which includes Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci and David Strathairn, fool you: This is the Rachel Weisz show.
It's a good film with a strong central performance. The problem is that the film isn't as strong as the performance.
Structured and shot like a quality premium-cable channel police drama, this fact-based story might have had more impact as a documentary.
[Weisz's] restraint offers a cold, evaluative gaze that makes what transpires all the more telling, and in the absence of direction that can make something more out of these elements than just condemnation, that becomes a strength.
Instead of capitalising on a really fine performance from Rachel Weisz in the leading role, Kondracki makes a real mess of it.
This is a truly depressing film, without any sense of release. You may even be tempted to give up on the human race while watching men casually trade and rape girls for a few measly dollars.
Audience Reviews for The Whistleblower
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Laura Leviani: I don't want a scandal, I'm just doing my job.
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- Kathryn Bolkovac: I heard the food was really great.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Anderson's rating of this movie should not be counted in the film's overall score | 4 months ago | 0 |
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Foreign Titles
- Whistleblower - In gefährlicher Mission (DE)
- The Whistleblower (UK)
A fine, unremarkable social issue drama that looks unflinchingly at the cruelties of sex trafficking, The Whistleblower has its moments when it is remarkably compelling only because the material is tough to watch. While it attempts to wring ethical questions out of its hero's predicament, anyone with half a moral compass would find the character's choices obvious.
Rachel Weisz has done better American accents in her other work, and that's about the extent of my criticism of her work here. She's good, but there's little extraordinary about her performance.
Overall, as social issue dramas go, this one is good but nothing profound.