The Peacemaker, 1997

The Peacemaker, 1997
Director: Mimi Leder
Cast: Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Marcel Iures



The Peacemaker in short:Two trains crash somewhere in Russia, one carrying a nuclear payload. A nuclear explosion follows the crash and the world is on alert... However, White House nuclear expert Dr. Julia Kelly doesn't think it was an accident... Special Operations Intelligence Officer Colonel Thomas Devoe doesn't think so either... Together they must unravel a conspiracy that goes from Europe to New York, to stop a terrorist who has no demands..


Stage: Home theatre, Sunday night selection on TV


Preps: Hm, I think I saw this one at the movies and I didn't like it. But memory is a sad story, so let's see if I am right.


Reality: Hm.. I am right. Only the scenery won't do. The war in ex Yugoslavia, Russian disputes, eastern Countries disputes.. is a sad story and has been depicted in many movies. This one is an american attempt of making it more yummy than it is. In other words, it collides many stories, however only one, and that is the pain of the nation, is relevant. No other stories should take place in this one. The quarrel between the nations and the big price they were paying for years has no place for romance, some chase on the US streets. There can be no good collision of US scenes and scenes that depict Russian wars, eastern nations wars, Ex Yugoslavia war. I mean, you cannot film a movie for most of the time in muslim mosque or on streets of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or on a russian railroad and then just switch to the US land. It's not probable, it shouldn't be done.
Clooney and Kidman have the saint role in the movie, however as much as US tries, they cannot be perceived as Peacemakers. It is known that they were perceived as Smurfs, because of the helmets. There were many really sad and true pieces filmed about the wars on these regions and the casualties, victims and sadness, depression, the war created. This is definitely not one of them. We are not on this place to celebrate the fact that US sticks their nose wherever they find it interesting (I am not speaking about appropriate). It is (was) not their war as I am sure that they are doing their chores on many places in the same exact way.
Movies like these make people think that US soldiers, Peacemakers, nurses, etc, play a huge role in nation's desputes around the world. Guess what, they usually make it worse, not better. Despite the fact that this movie is trying to persuade you differently, be sure you are watching a fairy tale. With some smart inserts of Višnjevič and some russian, serbian jargon.


My personal rate: 5,0 (I wouldn't recommend it. It is better to watch movies that local people/directors made on the topic. More realistic, better equipped with real information).



The Peacemaker on IMDB