Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- paranoid
- brooding
- serious movie night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics found the film slow and dull despite Michael Caine’s strong performance, with broader reviews landing in the mixed-to-negative range.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
An investigation in 1992 seeks to prosecute Pierre Brossard for his role in a 1944 execution despite his earlier conviction and presidential pardon.
The plot implicates government officials, police connected to the Vichy regime, and Catholic Church networks in protecting Brossard.
Brossard presents himself as a devout traditionalist Catholic while fleeing both official prosecution and a Jewish organization seeking revenge.
Livi and Roux pursue legal accountability while a separate Jewish organization seeks execution, and officials work to suppress their own exposure.
Films like The Statement, and why
The Reader
shared focus on postwar guilt, institutional complicity, and morally serious political investigation
Music Box
shared Holocaust aftermath, pursuit of perpetrators, and tense historical reckoning
The Lives of Others
shared procedural investigation into state crimes, moral ambiguity, and austere political tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Norman Jewison
- Release Date
- 2003-12-12
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (84)
Cast
- Michael Caine
- Tilda Swinton
- Jeremy Northam
- Alan Bates
- Charlotte Rampling
- John Neville
- Ciarán Hinds
- Frank Finlay
- William Hutt
- Matt Craven
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Statement about?
- A French war criminal’s fragile refuge collapses when a determined magistrate, a military investigator, and avengers pursue the truth behind his protection.
- What is The Statement like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Statement as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Statement violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Statement as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Statement?
- Critics found the film slow and dull despite Michael Caine’s strong performance, with broader reviews landing in the mixed-to-negative range.
- Which films are like The Statement?
- Films with a similar feel include The Reader, Music Box, and The Lives of Others.
- How long is The Statement?
- The Statement runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Statement?
- In United States, The Statement is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
