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.

This movie was very good. Even though I should have probably known better, I was under the long term illusion that these witness protection people got a free ride for selling out to the government. This movie really gives a dose of reality that is pretty believable. You are torn between thinking "he really deserved it" and empathizing with him and his family and what they are giving up for the protection. I also thought the movie did a good job of showing how they have to find them selves and their family core once again to proceed with their new lives. Great jobs by Forest Whitaker and Mary Elizabeth.

I thought that this was just another "made for cable" movie that would be just to watch once and forget. I was very wrong. This movie showed a different view to the unknowing public as to what really goes on in the witness program and it is not what we all think. This movie also had also no dull moments. I tried playing a game with my wife later and called her Joan (as in Joan Cooper) to try to slip her up, and sure enough, it is real easy to tell people things they can use against you. Great movie for all except for anyone under 10. Great job by Tom Sizemore, Forrest Whitaker, Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio and William Sadler, and the 2 actors that played their children. Keep it up HBO.

Witness Protection is another fine example of HBO's strong line of original films (Mistrial, Vendetta, RKO 281). In Witness Protection, Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Bringing Out the Dead) stars as a mob man who has recently had a hit put out on him by his own boss. In order to protect himself and his family he agrees to testify against his boss and enter the witness protection program. After entering the program he soon realizes the stress this puts on his family as everyone begins to take sides against everyone else in a struggle to make it. Sizemore one of the best actors in the business gives a strong lead performance adding to his list of impressive performances. Forest Whitaker (Blown Away, Species) adds a great supporting performance as the man who leads the family into the program. Highly recommended.

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.