The Whistleblower film review does not contain spoilers. The film is based on true events of the sex trafficking trade.
Rachel Weisz is brilliant as Kathryn, a US cop whose dedication and commitment to her job has the negative side-effect of her losing custody of her young daughter. Devastated with this outcome, and with nothing left to lose, she accepts a high paid six month post working for the United Nations (UN) in Bosnia that changes the course of her life. Her new position finds her in unfamiliar territory as the only woman on the force working amongst hard-nosed men who have little regard for women. Her excellent work protecting the rights of Muslim women is noticed by Madeline, played by Vanessa Redgrave, who offers Kathryn a promotion to work as the Head of Department.
Defending women’s rights
Kathryn’s bull-headed determination to investigate what appears to be discrepancies with how cases are handled begins to create tension with her colleagues. It isn’t long before things begin to unravel when Kathryn discovers that the girls from a local bar are part of a human trafficking business. Threatened with their lives if they speak out, these girls are terrified and stay silent.
Undeterred by personal threats on her own life, Kathryn continues to dig for evidence that these girls are illegal immigrants and part of a trafficking ring. She finally gets a breakthrough and finds out that the girls have been lured or kidnapped with offers of jobs abroad. With false identification papers, they are held against their will and are being brutally beaten, drugged and tortured if they do not comply. What Kathryn uncovers puts her life in danger and has huge international implications for the persecution of high officials that had been employed as peacekeepers.
The Whistleblower states there are 2.5 million victims of human trafficking
The Whistleblower is an action-packed film from start to finish that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The brutality is severe, making the facts that this is also a reality for 2.5 million victims of human trafficking difficult to conceive and devastating to accept. Director, Larysa Kondracki uses a bleak and colourless location to create an atmosphere that accurately reflects the lives of those trapped in its existence. Kondracki holds nothing back in describing the misery these young women are subjected to with no hope in sight. It is truly heartbreaking, especially for a parent whose daughter has gone missing.
Rachel Weisz’s performance is exceptional. Her eyes speak volumes. The viewer is swept along Kathryn’s journey at such a rapid pace that it is easy to be caught up in Kathryn’s frustration, and the compassion she feels for the young women whose fear of the brutal treatment by their captors outweighs their courage to try to escape.
The Whistleblower is a disturbing and stressful film to watch knowing that this modern day slavery is occurring throughout the world. It is brilliantly written and directed by Larysa Kondracki. The film is an amazing achievement as her directorial debut. Also of high standard is the cinematography work of Kieran McGuigan, and brilliant editing by Julian Clarke. It is a film worth seeing and one that will be etched in your mind permanently. There are many reasons to see this film, the most important is for the awareness it brings to human trafficking and the exposure of the people who are paid to protect. If youth won’t listen to the advice of their parents, they may pay attention to what happens in this film.
Related articles:
Film Information
| Film Title | THE WHISTLEBLOWER |
| Director | Larysa Kondracki |
| Producer | Amy Kaufman, Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray |
| Screenplay | Larysa Kondracki, Eilis Kirwan |
| Cinematography | Kieran McGuigan |
| Cast | Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci |
| Duration | 112 mins |
| Genre | Drama |
| Classification | MA |
| Language | English |
| Country | USA |
| Jacqx Rating | 4 out of 5 |
