The Commissioner (1998)

A member of the British Government is sent to Brussels to become British Commissioner to the European Community. He is made aware of a web of political and industrial corruption through a ... See full summary »

Director:

George Sluizer

Writers:

Christina Kallas (screenplay), George Sluizer (screenplay),

Stars:

John Hurt, Rosana Pastor, Alice Krige

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Hurt	...	James Morton
Rosana Pastor	...	Helena Moguentes
Alice Krige	...	Isabelle Morton
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Hans Koenig
Johan Leysen	...	Horst Kramer
Simon Chandler	...	Peter Simpson
David Morrissey	...	Murray Lomax
James Faulkner	...	Gordon Cartwright
Alan MacNaughton	...	Karl Ritter
Bill Bolender	...	Arthur Groom
Julian Wadham	...	Prime minister
Adrian Brine	...	President of Court
Kevork Malikyan	...	Greek commissioner
John Abbott	...	Commissioner's Laywer
Max Gold	...	Morton Lawyer

Storyline

A member of the British Government is sent to Brussels to become British Commissioner to the European Community. He is made aware of a web of political and industrial corruption through a series of anonymous letters. Despite his own history of political expediency, the Commissioner rises to the moral challenge and faces off with the evil forces responsible.

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Plot Keywords:

european | chemical weapons | independent film | based on novel

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Belgium Germany UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1998 (Germany)

Also Known As:

A főbiztos

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metropolis Filmproduction, New Era Vision, Saga Film (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

James Morton: You're not by any chance some kind of feminist?
Helena: The worst kind! A Woman!

User Reviews

Worthy subject but why tell half a story?

This film's subject matter may be more worthwhile than average - let's face it, the institutions of the European Union need all the PR they can get - but that doesn't make up for the unlikely plot twists, unsubtle (cliched, even) characters and the feeling that this is only the first part of a bigger story.

The viewer is likely to feel unsatisfied because different elements aren't connected well; for example, the film begins with a very dramatic scene but this turns out not to be the real climax, only one of a series of dramatic events. The nature of the relationships between John Hurt's character and other characters, such as his wife, his lover, the prime minister and the journalist, is not shown in a way that reveals how it is relevant to the plot.

John Hurt is always watchable and it's just a shame that this partly-realized story provides the viewer with only the odd glimpse of what his character could be; a determined, morally decent (but flawed) man prepared to bring the world down around him for the sake of justice.