"The Whistleblower" is another of those movies that fall under the category of "important", which seem to have been discarded and buried by the studios with little or no promotion or press as to its release. It brings to mind movies like "Without A Name", "Shake Hands With The Devil" and a few others.
It is almost as if the studios and all other parties involved are embarrassed by this movie and having made it in the first place, so they chose the middle of summer to bring it to screen, and worse, on as few of them as possible. Buried amongst a slew of popcorn blockbusters and big title releases, this movie disappeared quickly from movie theatres and from people's awareness, as it appears was intended.
Its subject matter is not an easy one, as it deals with one of humanity's scourges, namely human trafficking, a phrase which seems to be more acceptable and suited to our modern day sensibilities and political correctness, a scourge that I, myself, like to call it for what it actually is...slavery.
Yes folks, if you thought that slavery is buried and gone, you are dead wrong! It still thrives and it is as cruel, barbaric and dehumanizing as ever. Faces, places and dates might have changed, but the basic cruelty and oppression upon which slavery is based has remained.
Though the story is set over 10 years ago, most of the subject matter is as relevant today as it was then, as is the urgency to deal with this dark and on-going chapter of human history, one which our "civilized" world apparently continues to tolerate and allows to exist.
The wonderful cast, Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Regrave, Monica Bellucci and David Strathairn among them, tries to bring some humanity and context to this depressingly realistic take on the trafficking and sale of human beings, in this instance women from the former Yugoslavia and the rest of the Eastern European bloc.
The movie is as bleak as the topic it tackles, and as devoid of a clear-cut resolution or triumph as in real life. Every small success is counteracted by more disappointment, failure and a deep sense of impotence and frustration at the inability to do anything about it. The identity and nature of the parties involved and partaking in this cruel and inhumane enterprise is all the more shocking and discouraging. It is literally one step forward and two steps backward...to put it mildly.
If you are looking for some story of heroism or some silver lining, be forewarned...there is none. Still, I would like to challenge people outhere to see this movie for themselves, rent it, buy it, watch it on-demand, stream it on the internet, whatever! I feel that this film deserves more attention from as many people as possible.
If enough of us see it and if any of it permeates into our consciousness, then perhaps we will at least be more aware of the world we inhabit, better yet, some brave souls might even decide to do something about it!
It is almost as if the studios and all other parties involved are embarrassed by this movie and having made it in the first place, so they chose the middle of summer to bring it to screen, and worse, on as few of them as possible. Buried amongst a slew of popcorn blockbusters and big title releases, this movie disappeared quickly from movie theatres and from people's awareness, as it appears was intended.
Its subject matter is not an easy one, as it deals with one of humanity's scourges, namely human trafficking, a phrase which seems to be more acceptable and suited to our modern day sensibilities and political correctness, a scourge that I, myself, like to call it for what it actually is...slavery.
Yes folks, if you thought that slavery is buried and gone, you are dead wrong! It still thrives and it is as cruel, barbaric and dehumanizing as ever. Faces, places and dates might have changed, but the basic cruelty and oppression upon which slavery is based has remained.
Though the story is set over 10 years ago, most of the subject matter is as relevant today as it was then, as is the urgency to deal with this dark and on-going chapter of human history, one which our "civilized" world apparently continues to tolerate and allows to exist.
The wonderful cast, Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Regrave, Monica Bellucci and David Strathairn among them, tries to bring some humanity and context to this depressingly realistic take on the trafficking and sale of human beings, in this instance women from the former Yugoslavia and the rest of the Eastern European bloc.
The movie is as bleak as the topic it tackles, and as devoid of a clear-cut resolution or triumph as in real life. Every small success is counteracted by more disappointment, failure and a deep sense of impotence and frustration at the inability to do anything about it. The identity and nature of the parties involved and partaking in this cruel and inhumane enterprise is all the more shocking and discouraging. It is literally one step forward and two steps backward...to put it mildly.
If you are looking for some story of heroism or some silver lining, be forewarned...there is none. Still, I would like to challenge people outhere to see this movie for themselves, rent it, buy it, watch it on-demand, stream it on the internet, whatever! I feel that this film deserves more attention from as many people as possible.
If enough of us see it and if any of it permeates into our consciousness, then perhaps we will at least be more aware of the world we inhabit, better yet, some brave souls might even decide to do something about it!