The Parole Officer

Infobox_Film
name = The Parole Officer


writer = Steve Coogan
Henry Normal
starring = Steve Coogan
Om Puri
Steven Waddington
Ben Miller
Emma Williams
director = John Duigan
producer = Duncan Kenworthy
Andrew Macdonald
music = Alex Heffes
cinematography = John Daly
editing = David Freeman
distributor = DNA Films
Universal Pictures
released = August 10, 2001
runtime = 93 min.
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0283534

"The Parole Officer" is a 2001 film, directed by John Duigan and starring Steve Coogan.

Plot

The main character, Simon Garden, played by Coogan is a well-meaning but ineffectual probation officer. At the beginning of the film, he is facing a tribunal after his entire department submit complaints against him, Garden having only had three successes in his career. He is therefore transferred to Manchester.

In Manchester, when looking into the case of a "client", Kirsty, a juvenile delinquent who had had Class A drugs planted on her, Simon witnesses the murder of an accountant by corrupt police officer Detective Inspector Burton. He is discovered, chased from the building by two bouncers and after being cornered, ends up falling into a canal. However, he has inadvertently left his wallet containing identification at the crime scene and is duly framed for the accountant's murder by D.I.Burton. Simon goes to the police with the story, but ends up being interviewed by Burton, who is leading the investigation. He releases Simon, but threatens him with prison unless he keeps quiet about his drugs scam and the murder.

Simon first decides to leave Manchester for good, but then remembers that a CCTV camera had filmed the whole event. He realises that this security tape will clear his name and show that Burton was the real murderer. Unfortunately, it is sealed in a safety deposit box in a bank. Thus, he enlists the help of his successful ex-clients and between them they devise a cunning plan to retrieve the tape from the bank.

Cast

*Steve Coogan - Simon Garden
*Om Puri - George
*Steven Waddington - Jeff
*Ben Miller - Colin
*Emma Williams - Kirsty
*Stephen Dillane - Inspector Burton
*Lena Headey - Emma
*Justin Burrows - Mills
*John Henshaw - Cochran
*Omar Sharif - Victor
*Jenny Agutter - Sarah, Victor's wife
*Richard Sinnott - Bank Manager

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283534/ The Parole Officer] entry at the IMDb.