The Witness Files

Writer Cameron Kent has some good ideas but fails to make them gel in a script full of plot holes and improbable situations. The cast headed by Yancy Butler as target Sandy Dickinson do the best they can with what is given them. Perhaps the stand out performance is by Barry Flatman as archfiend Frank Sutton hiding behind the law for his nefarious schemes of self-aggrandizement, but no one is less than adequate for this suspense thriller.

Sandy Dickinson is in prison for murdering her abusive husband to protect herself and her son, Justin (Matthew Harbour). Surprisingly, the man who prosecuted her on involuntary manslaughter charges, Frank Sutton, obtains a parole for her after she agrees to falsely testify for him against a mob leader. Unbeknownth to Sandy, Frank keeps witness files, hence the apropos title, on key witnesses who somehow end up dead.

Sandy becomes a target for Frank's hit men but successfully eludes them by her own machinations and talents as a make-up artist. She is aided by a police detective, Dennis McCoy (David Nerman), and her friends from prison and elsewhere. That Sandy and Dennis fall in love doesn't prevent Sandy from using Dennis to deal effectively with Frank to get rid of him for good. How she does this is much too contrived but still entertaining.

A bonus is the haunting music of Canadian artist Christopher Dedrick, particularly the closing theme.

Great twist on the "corrupt prosecutor gets his just-due" genre. Yancy Butler plays Sandy Dickenson, a wrongly convicted mother - released from prison by corrupt prosecutor Frank Sutton(running for higher office) played by Barry Flatman, who extorts her into giving false testimony to convict a crime lord to bolster his political standing aided by a gullible police detective David McCoy, played well by David Nerman, who Sandy seduces and manipulates into pursuing prosecutor Sutton....and with the help of Sandy's prison acquaintance con-family Sandy pulls off the ultimate "con". The pace & film-making qualities of this movie are impressive, as is the editing. The best part is Yancy Butler's star-turn performance - her best to date.

In this suspense thriller, the plot thickens as Yancy Butler, who plays the convicted and now released on parole Sandy Dickenson, turns the tables on the crooked prosecutor Frank Sutton- that prosecuted Sandy Dickenson's case for the involuntary manslaughter of her husband. Sutton is in favor of her parole, admitting that Dickenson did kill her abusive husband in self defense. But she must do something for him in return - testify against a mafia king pin.

As it turns out, Sutton uses the "witness files" to prosecute his tough cases as a way to secure witnesses. Then he murders them. In finding this out, Sandy turns the game on Sutton, leading to his arrest and conviction for her murder. The storyline is very creative and unique- there are no dull moments in this thriller. Butler lands a A+ performance in this suspense laden movie.

A must see for all Yancy Butler fans!

A woman goes after a crooked DA in "The Witness Files," a 1999 film starring Yancy Butler, David Newman and Barry Flatman. Butler plays a victim of domestic violence, Sandy Dickinson, who killed her husband and was sent to prison. She is promised early parole by the DA who put her there (Newman) if she will pose as a witness to help him put away a mob boss. In order to be with her son, she agrees. Since she's a former actress, she's able to disguise herself as a street person and tell the police that she saw the mobster commit murder. Everything goes smoothly until someone tries to kill her.

This is a far-fetched story but nevertheless absorbing, with the beautiful, throaty-voiced Butler handing in a fine performance as Sandy. David Newman is extremely likable as Dennis, the detective who falls in love with Sandy without knowing her true identity. And this is a plot hole - when it is learned that Sandy is missing, why did a detective working with the DA never look at a photo of her and realize she was the woman he fell in love with? As stated above, the story is a little out there.

A good rental.

I completely agree with the previous comment, this movie should have a higher rating in my opinion. I thought that Barry Flatman, as the evil District attorney, did a great job at being slimy and mean. He reminded me a little of Micheal Douglas. Yancy butler is a wonderful actress and played each of her characters so well. I especially loved the role of the old lady! Amazing... The little boy, Justin, was so cute as her shy son.

I am such a fan of movies that have twists and turns.... this one had it all. I don't want to say too much more as I don't want to spoil the movie. A clever movie with a super cast. ;o)