The Statement (2003)

Tale of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hit men and Police investigators.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Brian Moore (novel)

Stars:

Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Northam

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Caine	...	Pierre Brossard
Tilda Swinton	...	Annemarie Livi
Jeremy Northam	...	Colonel Roux
Alan Bates	...	Armand Bertier
Charlotte Rampling	...	Nicole
John Neville	...	Old Man
Ciarán Hinds	...	Pochon
Frank Finlay	...	Commissaire Vionnet
William Hutt	...	Le Moyne
Matt Craven	...	David Manenbaum
Noam Jenkins	...	Michael Levy
Peter Wight	...	Inspector Cholet
Malcolm Sinclair	...	Cardinal of Lyon
Colin Salmon	...	Father Patrice
David de Keyser	...	Dom André (as David De Keyser)

Storyline

Tale of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hit men and Police investigators.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | police | obstruction of justice | telephone | shot in the head | 

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Taglines:

At the end of World War II, many of those involved in war crimes were prosecuted. Some got away. Until now.

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Details

Official Sites:

official site [United States] Production Company

Country:

Canada France UK

Language:

English German Italian Latin French

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Declaração

Filming Locations:

Château de Chantilly, Chantilly, Oise, France

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,220 (USA) (12 December 2003)

Gross:

$763,044 (USA) (26 March 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Serendipity Point Films, Odessa Films, Company Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film opens with a man seeking Michael Caine with the aid of a photograph. In the photograph, the man seen next to Michael Caine is director Norman Jewison.

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Goofs

When the statement is shown being typed, the typist underlines the name Pierre Brossard except for the P. When it is shown completed, the name is underlined completely.

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Connections

Features Only You (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Tous les garçons et les filles"
Performed by Françoise Hardy
Written by Françoise Hardy & Roger Samyn
Published by Editions Musicales Alpha

User Reviews

A bit of a flop

I dare say this film would have been much better received had it cast the film logically rather than have 'everybody's favourite Cockney' Michael Caine playing somebody called Pierre Boussard - I mean, Caine has never struck me as a "Pierre" somehow. And we can say for sure, that it couldn't have done any worse, a $22m financial loss is testament to that.

Of course I realise the book is in English, but there is a big difference between the two mediums and very rarely does a film pull off a stunt like this, see 'The Hunt For Red October' or Jude Law's Russian misfortune in 'Enemy At The Gates'. At least The Statement didn't slip into having Caine and co. adopt Gallic accents - that would have been too much to bare.

As for the film itself, it seemed a complete waste of police time to have half of the French PD chasing round after an OAP with a heart condition who'd been *ordered* to kill seven people 50 years earlier during German occupation. And for the film to set itself up as some sort of chase thriller, it very rarely gets past a stroll and the tension never really reaches the levels it should do.

All that said though, there are far worse films out there and this isn't an altogether bad way to spend 2 hours. 6/10