In The Hague, Hannah (Kerry Fox) is a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal. Her most recent case is the trial of a Yugoslavian commander accused of deporting and killing dozens of Bosnian Muslims. The lead witness in the case gives his damning testimony, then it is proved false. He insists the commander is guilty, and then commits suicide. Hannah realizes he was speaking for his sister, Mira (Anamaria Marinca), and tries to convince the woman to testify. Despite threats, Mira does agree to tell her story. On the way to her testimony, though, compromises and betrayals litter the path to justice.

CRITIQUE

While the topic of war has always been popular cinematic material, the prosecution of the leaders responsible for atrocities is a less-harvested area of concern. This is particularly true of more recent conflicts which were sickening with genocidal crimes, such as the war in the Balkans in the early 1990’s. An independent European film has thankfully added one worthy entry to the few examinations of it on screen. Storm is a wonderful film, complete with a powerful, straightforward story, subtly effective direction, and strong performances throughout.

Interestingly, this film opens with an almost-bucolic image of a father having fun on the beach with his two young daughters. But the palpable fear he shows at possibly being followed, and then his chaotic, abrupt arrest, tells the audience this man is not simply a loving father and husband. The suspenseful and engaging plotting begins here and continues throughout the film. I like the way The Hague is established in an early scene as being much like other workplaces--people get promoted and people get assigned duties they may not want--despite the important work they do there. This lays a good foundation for bitter compromises that seem to be required in order to win the case in the film’s later scenes. Other elements, such as the threats made against Mira and the revelation of the person who is actually on the wrong side, should feel trite but they somehow don’t in this film.

One aspect of this movie that must be singled out is the performances. I thoroughly enjoy and applaud the fact that the story here revolves around two women, and this film is proof of what actresses can be capable of when really given the chance for front and center character development. The magnificent Australian actress Kerry Fox, last seen in the rapturous period romance Bright Star, never drops Hannah’s strength and perseverance for a second. Anamaria Marinca is also wonderful as Mira, and here’s hoping these two continue to fill their resumes with international productions. The performances, direction, and story of Storm make an undeniable impact on the viewer’s head and heart.

THE VIDEO

Film Movement presents Storm in anamorphic widescreen format, preserving the theatrical presentation in both color and aspect ratio.

THE AUDIO

Storm receives a Dolby Digital presentation, although the packaging doesn’t indicate which specific one. There are English subtitles offered on the disc, which the viewer has to remember to turn on; there are no other language subtitles available.

THE EXTRAS

“Toyland” short film: This German short won a Best Live Action Short Film Academy Award and it’s easy to see why. In 1942 Berlin, a mother searches frantically for her child. Their neighbors were friends and Jewish, so she told her son that that family had to go to “Toyland” to avoid telling him the truth. When the neighbors are rounded up, the boy tries to follow them. The flashback structure of this short works extremely well, while the ending is memorable beyond belief. Definitely watch this.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Storm is film that proves its intelligence and sensitivity in every frame, through a memorable story and superb performances. Director Hans-Christian Schmid also acquits himself nicely with the economy and intimacy he gives the narrative’s visuals. Many, many film fans will want to see and perhaps buy this film, and maybe join Film Movement as well. Further, Film Movement is a company that should be proud to bring films like Storm to larger audiences by way of its DVD releases.