Review of "The Whistle Blower" DVD


The Whistle Blower carries a Parental Guidance (PG) classification.
The genre is Espionage/Drama and the film was first released in 1987. It has a run time of 1 hour 40minutes.
The copy I am reviewing is a single disc edition with a limited special feature selection of Scene Selection and Photo Gallery.

~**~Cast, Director and Producer~**~

The DVD has a strong cast list which includes Michael Caine, Nigel Havers, John Gielgud, James Fox, Gordon Jackson and Felicity Dean

The director is Simon Langton and the producers Geoffrey Reeve, Jim Reeve, John Kelleher, Peter Dolman and Philip Nugus .
Soundtrack by John Scott.


~**~The Plot~**~

The Whistle Blower is based on a novel by John Hale, this film is basically a cold war spy story. Frank Jones (Michael Caine) is a war veteran, he served his country during the second world war and is now an ordinary civilian, a law abiding business man. Frank has a son, Bob, (Nigel Havers) of whom he is very proud. Bob is a brilliantly intelligent Russian linguist and translator, he works for the British Intelligence Agency, at a time when Russia is viewed as a sinister and mysterious force. Bob confides his doubts and fears about some of his work to his father and shortly after this, Frank's world is rocked by a visit from the Police who inform him that his son has died following a fall.

An inquest returns a verdict of accidental death, however, Frank is puzzled by certain aspects of his son's tragic death and he decides to begin his own investigation. At the time of Bob's death, Britain is in shock at recent defections to the Soviet Union by well known cabinet ministers and other high ranking Civil Servants. Frank becomes embroiled in events he would prefer to leave well alone and although he abhors the very thought of traitors, he finds himself mixing with government personnel he would rather not know.

The grief and anger Frank feels as a bereaved parent, are the spur he needs to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his son's accident and he is a tenacious investigator, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for the truth.

More I will not reveal for fear of spoiling the DVD for others!

~**~Availability and Cost~**~

I don't recall where I bought my copy or the price I paid for it, I have a feeling it was a gift some years ago. A quick look via a search engine, showed that www.amazon.co.uk are retailing new copies of The Whistle Blower from £1.50 and used from 0.01 + P&P. www.Ebay.co.uk also have the Whistler Blower listed at prices from 99p.



~**~My Thoughts and Conclusion~**~

The Whistle Blower has a superb cast, all of whom are very well suited to their roles. Michael Caine as the bereaved father gives an absolutely splendid performance, Nigel Havers as his son, portrays a worried young man, with believable conviction. The characters in the DVD are well rounded and the acting is second to none in my opinion.

The Whistle Blower is a gripping espionage drama with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep viewers interest and make you really want to know the outcome.

All in all, for a twenty year old movie, the Whistle Blower still has a great deal to offer and although the world has moved on and the Cold War is no more, this DVD has stood the test of time.

I would recommend this DVD to others.



Thank you for reading.

© Brittle1906 October 2009


N.B. My review may be found on other review sites under the same user name, brittle1906.