Mute Witness

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.

In Moscow, the clumsy director Andy Clarke (Evan Richards) is making a slasher movie in a studio set with Russian and American cast and crew. The responsible for the makeup is the mute Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina), who is the sister of Andy's girlfriend Karen Hughes (Fay Ripley).

One day, Billy needs to find a mask for the shot on the next day and she stays after hours in the studio set seeking out the object. However, the janitor locks her in the studio alone and Billy cannot find a way out.

When Billy sees light in the studio, she accidentally witnesses the Russians Arkadi (Igor Volkov) and Lyosha (Sergej Karlenkov) making a porn snuff movie and brutally killing a woman. Billy succeeds to escape, but the police officers do not trust on her. Further, the powerful Russian mafia chases her believing that Billy has a diskette with evidences against the mobsters.

I saw "Mute Witness" eighteen years ago and I loved this film. Yesterday I saw it again, now on DVD, and it still is a great film that combines thriller and horror with black humor in a plot with many twists. The director Anthony Waller masterly raises tension and relieves with black humor, startling the viewer and then making him or her laugh. Unfortunately the conclusion is a little disappointing but it is worthwhile watching this wonderful little film. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Testemunha Muda" ("Mute Witness")

** 1/2 out of ****

For the better part of an hour, Mute Witness is a first-rate thriller. So good, in fact, it was quickly becoming one of my genre favorites. Good premise, great direction, mostly terrific acting, smart writing, this one had it all. That is until just a bit past the one-hour mark, when the film suddenly makes a mind-boggling idiotic decision to change the tone and approach of the material, and it all devolves into a cheesy mess that left a sour taste in my mouth. This is the perfect example of a would-be great film that's merely recommendable thanks to an awful finish.

Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is the make-up artist for a cheesy slasher flick being filmed in Russia. A quick intro shows us that she may be mute, but she's pretty good at her job, which she may have also gotten because her sister is married to the director. After shooting for the day is wrapped up, Billy stays behind and is accidentally locked inside the soundstage. Waiting for help to arrive, she stumbles upon two of the film's crew members shooting a porno film, which quickly becomes a snuff piece.

After a fairly amusing opening scene and an effective set-up of the characters, Mute Witness kicks into full throttle quickly. Immediately after Billy witnesses the murder, we get one of the more suspenseful extended setpieces I've ever seen. These fifteen minutes consist of Billy creeping around the soundstage, desperately trying to avoid those crew members she just witnessed. It's a genuine breathtaking, edge-of-the-seat sequence, quite possibly the movie's highlight.

But the fun's not over. A little over halfway through the picture, we get another great stalk-and-slash sequence inside Billy's apartment. You even get to see cutie Marina Zudina fully nude, in some of the more gratuitous bits of flesh baring I've seen in a while (she has a great-looking butt), not that I'm really complaining. Zudina is probably the best thing about the film, she's not only extremely cute, but also smart and likable, a quick thinker who evades her attackers not because she's physically stronger or faster, but because she's smarter.

(spoilers) While I figured the film couldn't possibly keep the momentum up, I wasn't expecting such a sharp turn of events, either. The film suddenly goes from edgy thriller to a cheesy spy film, packed with silly and predictable double-crosses and plot twists. The simplicity and stark atmosphere of the first hour is gone. The number of villains is bloated from two scary individuals to what is apparently the entire Russian mafia.

The introduction of the undercover cop robs the movie of its key strength. The fun of the plot was watching Billy outthink and outsmart her attackers by herself. Bringing this guy into the mix shoves her into almost a supporting role and virtually reduces her to a mere sidekick/damsel in distress.

Possibly worst of all is the decision to place Billy's sister and her husband into the thick of the action. I don't think I've ever seen such an extreme case of two characters who I initially liked that come to annoy me so much by the climax. These two are made into bumbling fools, they've basically become the film's comic relief. Attempts at humor include them accidentally killing the bad guys, dropping bullets in crucial situations, and generally acting as clumsy as possible but still somehow not getting themselves killed in the process.

Director Anthony Waller had such a firm handle of the movie's pace and tone that I find it hard to believe he'd suddenly undo all his solid work in an instant. But the film's downward spiral is entirely his fault, the man wrote and directed the picture. He should have just stuck with what worked. But the first 2/3's are so much fun, it's worth recommending to thriller fans.

"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.

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.