I Witness

I liked this movie for several reasons. First, I thought it portrayed the "maliquidoras" (companies that move their plants and factories south of the Rio Grande) quite realistically. Second, I believe that the drug cartels deserve every bit of bad publicity they can get. Third, I also believe that the corruption of government officials in Mexico should be exposed. Of course, I realize that this was a film that was totally fictitious. But things very similar to this actually happen when greed takes over and people are treated like "widgets" and nothing more. And I believe people need to be made aware of this. But despite the politics involved, I also liked the film due to the way the movie played out. Jeff Daniels (playing International Rights Watch advocate "James Rhodes") did pretty well in conveying the "crusader" spirit that is necessary for the job at hand. Additionally, I liked the cynicism of "Douglas Draper" (James Spader) and the cautious attitude of the Mexican investigator named "Claudio Castillo" (Clifton Collins Jr). All three characters seemed to fit quite well. And then there is the attractive American State Department agent named "Emily Thompson" (Portia de Rossi) whose presence brightened the screen as well. As far as the plot is concerned, I thought it kept my attention. At least for the most part. However, I seriously doubt that any drug cartel is going to be that concerned about its public image like this movie tried to depict. After all, they're thugs and hired killers and it's what they do. So shooting it out with the Mexican police to defend their reputation was a bit far-fetched. Likewise, the ending was a bit too convenient. But other than that I enjoyed this movie.

Sometimes when diving through the DVD bargain bin, you can find a gem of a movie. Other times you can find movies that while they are not great, are all the same good enough to be worth the small cost you have to pay. "I Witness" is one example of the latter. It seems to have been a labor of love for all concerned, given the obvious low budget. Actually, the small budget does not really hurt the movie, since the majority of the movie takes place in run down Mexican locations; without a big budget to spruce things up, you can really feel the poverty and the breeding place for crime and corruption. The cast does a pretty good job, especially James Spader, who really shines despite having a somewhat limited part. Jeff Daniels is also good, though his character seems at times to be somewhat naive for someone who has made a career going to various hot spots around the globe looking for human rights violations. If there is any other flaw with the script, it's that the story unfolds at a somewhat slow pace (though the movie never gets boring.) It's a good movie that's worth seeing. One warning, though: If you are thinking of travelling to Mexico for any purpose, by the end of the movie you'll probably be cancelling your plans.

In Tijuana, Mexico, near to the border with USA, James Rhodes (the excellent Jeff Daniels) is a member of the Human Rights organization, working as an observer of the election of the workers of an American company, represented by the member of U.S. Government Emily Thompson (Portia de Rossi). The local workers are supposed to decide whether they want the union in the company or not. Meanwhile, twenty-seven bodies of humble people are found buried in an abandoned tunnel, drilled in the past by the lord of the drugs Voltan. In the same day, two young American are killed while driving their motorcycles off-road, in a track in a desert area. These events apparently not related are investigated by Claudio Castillo (Clifton Collins Jr.), a honest detective from Mexican homicide department, pressed by James and his superiors. Voltan is blamed for all the deaths, and resolves to help indirectly James in his investigation. Douglas Draper (James Spader) is a cynical liaison of the American police force, working together with the corrupt Captain Madrid (Jordi Caballero). The conclusion of this realistic story is full of revelations of dirty secrets. This movie was the wonderful surprise of the year: it is an excellent thriller. There is no clichés, no special effects and the characters are very human and well developed. The screenplay is very tight, without flaws; the direction is outstanding; and the magnificent cast has a marvelous performance. The plot recalls a Costa-Gravas movie, showing corruption both in Americans and Mexicans. The resolution of the situation is not corny or commercial, and does not spare or redeem any character, what is not common in American movies. Congratulation to all the persons that contributed for such an excellent entertainment. I just do not understand why this movie has had no promotion from the specialized critics and means of communication. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `Testemunha Ocular' (`Eye Witness')

I've read other comments here which say it's also like "Traffic." Ditto that for me as well. Don't know who these writers are (Colin Greene and Robert Ozn) but they are truly awesome. Tight plotting, terse cop-talk tied to characterization and impassioned issue oriented story-line without preaching. Love the way the writers tie the diverse story lines together at the very end. I never guessed how it was all related and they really knew how to keep me hooked. Jeff Daniels gives a very cool,understated performance. Love Portia DeRossi, very sexy without trying. And of course James Spader is always fascinating to watch - wish he had more to do in this flick. I saw this in Europe on a DVD. How come this thing is not out in the USA?!

Superficially, 'I Witness' sounds very promising: a thriller whose story mixes the battle of a union for recognition, a mass grave in Mexico and the mysterious vanishing of two American kids. But everyone speaks in that slick, snappy way you only seem to hear in film or TV, Jeff Daniels plays a human rights monitor as a self-righteous international detective, and Portia de Rossi is utterly ludicrous in her role, eye-candy disguised as an American trade envoy. More generally, the film lapses into portraying Mexico as a place where everything is utterly rotten, while the US government, although questioned, ultimately comes down on the right side in the rather ludicrous finale. Yet another criticism is that there's just too much action: for certain, there are plenty of worst offenders, but a drama with any real interest in Mexican assembly plants, or drug cartels, would follow a single story with more care, instead of decorating it with as many chases and gun fights as we get here. Ultimately, this is a film that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be: strip away the pretension to seriousness, and there's not much more than an underpowered version of something like the Jason Bourne films. It's a shame, because there's more than enough potential content in it's ideas to make a great movie.