{image1}Although it appears to be getting almost universally panned, "The Statement," starring Michael Caine isn't as awful as we're being led to believe. Mind you, we haven't said it's awesome, either.
Based on Brian Moore's eponymous novel, which was based on actual events, "The Statement," directed and produced by Norman Jewison ("Fiddler on the Roof," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Rollerball," "Moonstruck" and many more you'll have heard of), is the story of a Frenchman who collaborated with the Nazi regime and was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of seven Jews in Dombey in 1944.
Although Pierre Brossard (Caine) was captured after the war, he was allowed to escape and has spent decades on the run. How he manages to do this is with powerful friends in the Catholic Church and in the French government, both of whom wanted Brossard kept quiet, but for some reason chose to spare his life.
But now, Judge Anne Marie Livi (Tilda Swinton) has been assigned the case and she's determined to find Brossard, regardless of whose toes get stepped on (and a lot of important feet will be stomped upon). Although she seems to have personal reasons for her diligence, one of the great weaknesses in Ronald Harwood's script is its lack of development of this.
Livi enlists Colonel Roux (Jeremy Northam) of the military because she suspects the police were complicit in Brossard's escape. The two begin to search -- they must hurry because there are hit men on Brossard's trail, too -- and soon uncover evidence that the Church has been helping to hide and financially support Brossard for years, because he's a member of a secret Catholic brotherhood called the Chevaliers.
They -- and the hit men -- chase Brossard across Provence, from Avignon to Aix to Marseilles and then to Nice, but can they untangle the web that has been woven in post-war France by those attempting to hide their pasts? And will they get to Brossard before the hit men do?
As a thriller, "The Statement" isn't all that thrilling and although it isn't Caine's best performance -- his religious devotion is at times hardly convincing -- it's mostly the work of a master. He's got the calm killer's demeanor down and his flashbacks are vivid.
At times, though, Swinton, Northam and some of the others, especially a local policeman who is little more than a cartoonish stereotype, fail to bring the required subtlety to their characters and the result is many two-dimensional scenes.
Of course, the subject matter is serious and deserves attention. Whether or not you think the issues are addresseed with sufficient depth depends on how much you believe a two-hour Hollywood flick can serve as a substitute for a serious work of history. This reviewer doesn't set the bar too high and is therefore not terribly surprised or disappointed.
"The Statement" opens at Landmark's Downer Theatre, Fri., March 26.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
