The Whistleblower is about an American police officer who joins the peacekeeping program in Bosnia to make some quick cash in order to move to where her ex-husband has relocated with her daughter. The movie is based on a true story, and the issues presented within were and are very real.
Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz, "The Lovely Bones) is a police office in Nebraska, and her ex-husband is about to move away with their daughter, of whom he has custody. She applies for a transfer but her request is denied, and one of her coworkers tells her about a program in Bosnia where she can make $100,000 in only six months. Kathryn decides to enroll in the program, and at first glance it doesn't look much different than being a police officer is. However, when Kathryn discovers a rampant sex slave business and takes her findings to the United Nations, she is shocked to find that the UN is trying to cover it up.
Yes, see this movie. Weisz gives a great performance here, as does David Strathairn ("The Tempest") as an associate who is trying to help her break the scandal open. There's a twist at the end and then, before you can even react, the information in that twist changes. My only complaint is that the film was a little slow during the middle of the movie, but it picks up as it reaches its ending. Overall, it's crazy to think that this film is based on a true story, and that every day more and more girls are sold into the business of sex slavery.
The Whistleblower is currently playing locally at Birmingham 8 and the Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor), and is rated R with a runtime of 112 minutes.
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Liz Parker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan. She currently works as an Assistant Medical Editor for a pathology website. Visit her at her movie blog Yes/No Films
