Witness Protection

I have recently found myself very impressed by some of the original series coming out of HBO. I was totally crushed to find out that this was a one-time movie and not the start of another series. I feel like HBO really tapped into a topic that hasn't been explored in depth before: the psychological stress that goes along with a family having to start over from scratch. The film shows the first five days of the family living in a safe house after entering the witness protection program, and the training that they have to go through to prepare for their new life.

I thought that this film was outstanding, ESPECIALLY for a cable television production. I LOVE mafia movies, but I think that that's because it's always seemed like such a fantasy world to me. This film focuses on the reality that the family must face when they have to leave all of their money and connections behind. I thought that it was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.

Rock on HBO!!! Gimme MORE!!!

In Boston, when the mobster Bobby "Bats" Batton (Tom Sizemore) is attacked by a killer at home and escapes, he finds that he has fallen in disgrace with his boss since someone has falsely betrayed him telling that he has embezzled money from his funds. Without any alternative, Bobby seeks out FBI chief Sharp (William Sadler) to get protection to his family and him. Bobby accepts to snitch his boss; in return, his wife Cindy Batton (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), his teenage son Sean Batton (Shawn Hatosy), his little daughter Suzie Batton (Skye McCole- Bartusiak).and him will receive new identities and be relocated to Seattle. Along the next days, they move to a safe house to be trained in their new lives by Agent Steven Beck (Forest Whitaker) that shows that they are completely broken and without professional qualification. Meanwhile the family lives the drama to adapt to their new lives. Will they succeed?

"Witness Protection" is a HBO TV movie with a different approach of the witness protection program showing how does it works and how families are affected. In crime films, the procedure are shown in a shallow way; but this film uses the family of a mobster with wife, teenage son and little daughter to disclose the problems faced by the in their new location. Supported by great cast and direction, the most impressive are the odds to be successful, depicted when Agen Steven says 50% and his partner calls him optimistic. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Proteção à Testemunha" ("Witness Protection")

This is a movie which should be seen by anyone who thinks that the "witness protection" is a free ride for criminals. Very well done by everyone, it shows the gut wrenching changes that must be made by the "witness" and his/her family.Entertaining and disturbing it should be seen by all.

There's inherent limitations built into most TV movies. They tend to feel just a little closed in, without a lot of focus on cinematography. "Witness Protection" has the sense of being (literally) in a locked room. It provides an opportunity to focus almost completely on the actors and their performances. And there's some great performances, too. The three leads (Sizemore, Mastrantonio, Whitaker) get deep under the skin of their characters. The interaction between Sizemore and Mastrantonio, especially, reaches a level of tenderness and darkness that's totally unanticipated.

This film works well to director Richard Pearce's ability with actors, but doesn't provide him much in the way of visual opportunity like some of his stunning feature films (Threshold, Country, The Long Walk Home, A Family Thing). But, although "Witness Protection" sounds uninteresting and doesn't look much better, it is a numbing, dramatic punch to the face. There's a ton of depth to the writing here, brought to full bear by the actors. The only off-key note was with young Skye McCole Bartusiak, who is sometimes forced to express levels of emotion that she's not completely capable of getting across. Watch this film, though. You just might get something from it.

This movie is the kind that TV airs by the dozen late in the evening. It is not advertised as something special, just a nice thrill to entertain you before bedtime.

However, it is a very solid, well turned story, showing another side of the gangster/new identity tale that we have seen many times before. We get under the skin of a family forced into assuming a new identity. A son has to give up his access to a famous college and a daughter has to give up her friends at school and learn a whole new family history. Grand parents are said goodbye to, never to be seen again. All the difficulties of assuming a new identity are well described and explored in this film, and the acting is no-nonsense, to the point and convincing. Forest Whitaker is (as always) perfect in his role, but in fact all actors contribute convincingly to the story.