Mute Witness

I saw this movie over two years ago and it still sticks in my

mind. It is a movie which due to the setting and the

relatively unknown actors gives this movie a sense of

originality.

The movie has plenty of scary moments and in a lot of places is

very funny (whether always intended or not). If you are

looking for something different, then go and see this one.

You will be pleasantly suprised.

An American film crew are based in Moscow with Russians making up much of the actual crew outside of the main elements. Andy is the director with his girlfriend and her mute sister Billy as makeup artist. One night after a shoot Billy finds herself locked in the large building being used as the main studio. She comes downstairs having heard a noise to find two men making a porno film that quickly becomes a snuff film before her eyes. Billy flees the men but finds herself with no evidence to back up her claim. Meanwhile the shadowy figure behind the murder plans to cover all loose ends.

I have managed to miss this film everytime it has come on TV and everytime it was in a cinema. The closest I got was taping it once but it started late and I only got 20 minutes. Happily I finally got my video skills together and caught it late the other night. I had heard average reviews of this and only hoped that it would be enjoyable – which it was.

The plot starts simple (mute girl in peril) and builds later into a bit of a wider conspiracy. The first half of the film is it's strength, real terror, genuine tension and thrills. The actual murder is horrible and shot well to let you imagine more than you see. The following pursuit is also excellent and very well directed. The second half of the film is still very enjoyable and tense but never reaches those heights again. The plot opens up to a wider conspiracy and shadowy figures and it looses much of it's tightness as a result. The film is still very good mind you and is much better than a lot of large budget thrillers.

It isn't scary but it is very thrilling. The director makes plenty of good shots to help crank it up a notch when needed, however his script does falter at the final few hurdles Zudina is good and does really well as the girl in peril. She can't scream or cry and has to carry her fear in her eyes which she does well. Ripley and Richards are more there for comedy value but do help lighten the tone. The rest of the cast are anonymous chasers and don't have too much presence, but the director has done such a good job with the tension that they don't need to be monsters, only men. Guinness is OK I guess. It's interesting to have him in such a film but did no one else notice how badly redubbed he was. It was clear he had redone his lines in a studio – the sound quality was to crisp compared to other's dialogue and it didn't match with his lips as it should have done – shame.

Overall I enjoyed this film. For the most part it is simple, tight and very effective. Great tension. All the cast really put their fear in their eyes rather than relying on screams etc to convey it. The second half of the film dips a little as the plot gets a bit baggy and slightly less convincing but by then you should be sold and it's energy carries it over some bits that drag a little. Overall a really good little thriller.

"Mute Witness" is a terrifying roller coaster ride, with lots of black humor thrown in to perfect balance. What makes it so totally different from the usual thriller/horror, apart from its Moscow setting, the Russians are played by real Russians actors, even the American mute woman - excellent casting idea, because she acts brilliantly. More twists to the plot than you could hope for and the main part of the nerve wrecking tension comes from suggestion or chases and less from graphic violence, which one would expect from a film of that genre and plot. Apart from Alec Guinness' guest appearance, no big names, which only makes the film more attractive. I would be surprised if "Mute Witness" hasn't got cult status by now among the fans of the genre.

This may be the most tension-filled movie I have ever seen.

In fact, it's so nerve-wracking, I haven't been able to watch it again after viewing it two years ago, but I will since I have the DVD. There were a couple of scenes in here that are almost too much to watch....so if you've got problems and need to "escape" for an hour-and-half this film will get your mind off anything else.

The Russian actress Marina Zudina did a super job in facial expressions alone, which she had to do since her character in here is a mute. She plays a cute and wholesome makeup artist for a sleazy filmmaker. After the day's shooting is done and "Billie" is about to leave, she hears something. She takes a peek into the room where they were filming and discovers they are now shooting a "snuff film" and actually killing someone. Billie's eavesdropping is discovered and she runs for her life as the killers go searching for her in this big warehouse-type building.

There are two extended scenes in which our heroine is running for her life and both of them will wear you out. The first I described above. The second scene, the climactic one, goes on too long and isn't as well done as the first. In fact, the film should have been trimmed a bit but, overall, since it's so good at keeping our attention, then it served its purpose as entertainment.

An amazing piece of film that was well-conceived and kept me on the edge of my seat. Brilliantly orchestrated in its timing, and the comedy kicked in exactly when the tension needed a release. The acting was generally well-done (the "Director" should've asked Alec Guinness for acting lessons), and the shot selections were impressive (as in elongating the hall as Billy tries to race to the door in the studio). This movie didn't let up since the opening scene...