The Whistleblower ****

A gritty drama based on the true experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia, "The Whistleblower" recounts the story of a dedicated officer uncovering and finally exposing the involvement of the U.N. in very troubling sex trafficking. Rachel Weisz plays the part of Bolkovac in a very straight-forward manner, both as one sworn to serve and protect as well as a mother concerned for the treatment of women and young girls in the male-dominated, brutal conditions she finds in her assignment. The movie covers a lot of ground, from her background in the U.S. to the origins of the exploited girls, to the web of involvement and cover-up she confronts, but manages to hold it all together. Basically a dirty-cop story, writer/director Larysa Kondracki takes a very intimate, personal approach to her subject. Weisz, as usual, delivers outstanding work, and supporting players, which include Vanessa Redgrave and David Strathairn, are solid. Overall, it's an excellent, serious movie well told.