I Witness
I Witness
R | 13 April 2003 (USA)
I Witness Trailers

After 27 bodies are discovered in a collapsed tunnel in Tijuana, a man tries to unravel the mystery before becoming the next victim.

Reviews
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
rwolfe-51222 So many reviews I read attempt to bring this film in perspective versus Ms. Rowlings Potter films. It isn't necessary. Ms. Rowlings is a wonderful storyteller. Just enjoy the story and revel in her imagination for a couple of hours. Isn't loosing yourself what movie going is supposed to be about? As an added bonus, I feel certain that after seeing this film you will be looking forward to seeing the next installment. Ms. Rowlings will keep Warner Bros. in the money for years to come.The bad guys are bad. The good guys are good. There are children being children and adults being adults. It doesn't matter in Ms. Rowlings world if you are magical or muggle the traits within these groups stay the same. Children with hopes, desires, and fears. Adults with responsibilities. And young adults growing out of childhood and into adulthood trying to bridge the divide.One group trying to subjugate another. Another group trying to free those being suppressed. It's all so easy to relate to in our own lives whether you are a child, an adult, or one in-between. At least there are no zombies :)
ctomvelu1 A very hairy Jeff Daniels and James Spader costar in a baffling murder mystery down Mexico way. Daniels is a human rights observer and Spader is an American cop assigned to a dusty Mexican border town. Dozens of bodies are found in a collapsed tunnel, and the question becomes why were they in the tunnel in the first place? An Amercan company operating in town may hold the answers, but the answers will prove to be hard to comprehend and possibly fatal for the finder, as a Mexican detective assigned to the case keeps reminding Daniels. Excellent acting, a convoluted mystery, and a sense of foreboding that is right out of some classic '80s thriller like AGAINST ALL ODDS. Someone also compared this STV to TRAFFIC. A fair comparison. A must-see for mystery fans.
snake77 Spotted this DVD on eBay and bought it on the cheap from someone in the UK. Watched it last night and all I can say is what a great surprise! This is a really well done political thriller in the tradition of Traffic. Daniels, Spader, de Rossi, and especially Clifton Collins do some terrific acting. The direction is tight, the story is interesting, the political angle is provocative, the Mexican sets are authentic. All in all a very good film for what was obviously a smallish budget. Why this movie isn't on video in the US (was it ever shown in a theater?) is beyond me. Especially considering all the crap that IS on video. Does anyone know what happened to this movie?
jpschapira I really like to watch thrillers, if that's a name you can put to the films which contain action, suspense, mystery, drama; everything in one package. Sometimes we just call them suspense films. I like the "thriller" designation, especially because of the arguments I'm about to deal with here.I should say I like to watch thrillers because I'm expecting some adrenaline. I'm expecting to connect with a story, with the characters. "Seven" reached that goal in my expectations. It's an exceptional thriller. There are not much more thrillers that have captivated me. "Heat" is another one, maybe, if you can call it a thriller. So every time I sit to watch this type of film, I'm prepared. In cases of movies like "I Witness", things don't go very, or that well (referring to the other ones)."I witness" is not a good thriller. Not because it lacks the elements, no. It has them all; but they are not managed correctly. The action scenes are constantly repeated, the suspense is not felt (and this eliminates mystery), it's hard to believe the drama. Casting has united a strong ensemble here. Maybe the ones that made a mistake were the persons in the ensemble, at the time they chose to be in it.Some days ago I was talking about Jeff Daniels. We were discussing and I heard someone saying that he is always playing the same role. Probably. I like him as an actor, but I have got to think if he is really "choosing" his roles. He could be playing with them. He'll give you a good performance, but he is not really wanting to. He is so relaxed and disinterested; he doesn't seem to care.Some characters have big names but little participation. Portia de Rossi; I'm talking about her. I don't like her very much. She has that cute face but never seems to be comfortable in her roles or show any talent when playing them. Then there is James Spader; he seems to be drawn. He doesn't show any emotion, not even when he's having sex with a woman. Jordi Caballero, a sort of newcomer, finds the note for the role, although he overacts it most of the time.Then I should finish talking about the only impression the movie left on me, believe it or not. You could think I'm joking, but I was "thrilled" (not bad if a thriller causes that impression) with Clifton Collin Jr's performance. What an ability he has to create emotions at the time he has a serious look. He can be so sad and not fake it, yet make it real. I haven't seen him much, but I remember him in the little roles he played in "Tigerland" (very good movie, and one of Colin Farrell's best performances) and "The Last Castle". He was superb here.The movie was predictable and you could sense the ending. The most disappointing thing will be; that if you don't guess the ending, you won't be surprised by the resolution the movie shows to you. It will be just another possibility, like everything. Now that's not a good sign about a thriller, is it?