The Commissioner (1998)

Director:

George Sluizer

Writers:

Stanley Johnson (novel)
Christina Kallas (writer)

Release Date:

22 February 1998 (Germany)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

A member of the British Government is sent to Brussels to become British Commissioner to the European Community...

Plot Keywords:

European | Political | Chemical Weapons | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Max Gold	...	Morton Lawyer
Kevork Malikyan	...	Greek commissioner
John Abbott	...	Commissioner's Laywer

Also Known As:

Commissioner - Im Zentrum der Macht, Der (Germany)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Belgium | USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company:

Canal+

Quotes:

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

Good Political Thriller With Multiple Twists

Although it starts as a rather typical political thriller, in which the good and bad guys are singled out from the very beginning, "The Commissioner" is in fact quite different: In this film, the lines of good and bad are not only blurred, but through a series of multiple plot twists, our perceptions for the characters involved change constantly.

"The Commissioner" is about the story of James Morton (Hurt), a minister in the UK government who after being forced to resign from his post, is offered the position of Commissioner in the EU. He accepts the offer only after he is promised by his Prime Minister that he will hold the Foreign Affairs portfolio; however, upon his arrival in Brussels he finds out that he gets Industry instead, and that the UK PM actually lobbied for that. Despite his disappointment, and despite a wrecked marriage with his wife Isabelle (Krige) who declines even to follow him in his new home, he devotes his full energy in his new post. And soon, the first challenge faces him: He is handed evidence that a German chemical company, which is about to merge with a British one, is involved in the production of chemical and biological weapons. Assisted by his soon-to-become girlfriend Helena Moguentes (Pastor), the Environmental Commissioner, they begin a crusade to uncover the truth. However, in the process he discovers that people are not what they seem; not only that, but even the truth is not what it seems...

The clever plot twists make the movie very suspenseful and interesting. Moreover, the performances are generally good, although I must admit that I found Rosana Pastor a bit unsatisfactory in her role.

All in all a good film. 7/10.