FOLLOWING the start of the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in The Hague, the release here of the political thriller “Storm” couldn’t be more timely.
In this taut drama about the trial of a Bosnian Serb general from German director and co-writer Hans Christian Schmid, we see how justice can be subverted by interests as banal as international bureaucracy, despite the best intentions of a few brave individuals.
When a prosecution witness is caught lying on the stand and later hangs himself, the case is derailed. Feeling somewhat guilty about that, prosecutor Hannah Maynard (New Zealander Kerry Fox) tracks down the witness’ family and learns from his sister Mira (Romanian actress Anamaria Marinca, very good) of more heinous crimes the defendant committed during the war in Bosnia — running a rape camp and massacring women.
Despite thuggish threats to Mira, the head of the international tribunal is more concerned with concluding the trial than with serving justice, and refuses to allow her damning new testimony.
“Storm” unfolds in a straightforward manner and doesn’t resort to using wartime flashbacks to manipulate the viewer. It intelligently presents its case, showing how one or two courageous people can battle the forces of evil and indifference.