Witness (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
After the funeral of his young father, Samuel Lapp (Lukas Haas), a 9 yr. old Amish boy travelling with his mom, Rachel (Kelly McGillis) witnesses a brutal murder in a Philadelphia train station in 'Witness' (directed by Peter Weir). When Det. John Book (Harrison Ford) investigates, he tries desperately to get little Samuel to identify the killer. When he does, & identifies Narcotics Det. James McFee (Danny Glover), John Book confides in his (corrupt) boss (Josef Sommer). But it soon becomes apparent that McFee is after Book & the boy, and Book goes into hiding in a place where he thinks McFee would never find him ... in Samuel & Rachel's secluded Amish community. Tension builds before the inevitable happens & McFee finds his way into Amish territory. A thrilling conclusion ensues.
'Witness' is a sort of marvelous film. It is a thriller, yes. There is murder, chases, etc. The opening & closing segments of the film are nail-bitingly intense. But so, too, is the film a languorous character-based drama, a fish-out-of-water story, a story about corruption in the police force, a voyeuristic view into the quiet, antiquated lifestyle of the Amish, and it's also a beguiling romance btwn. a city cop & a meek Amish widow. And the fact that director Peter Weir throws all of that at us & creates such a smooth yarn of it all in under 2 hours is a truly magnificent feat.
Harrison Ford - in a role that couldn't be farther away from his typical action/adventure fare - is intoxicating as John Book. You just like him; and pull for him every step of the way. There's nuance in the performance that we've never seen from Ford before. Kelly McGillis (in only her 2nd film role) exudes a sort of majesty & grace that the camera simply loves. The crux of this movie deals with the changing relationship btwn. Ford & McGillis. And the movie succeeds, in good part, to their slow-burn chemistry. Lukas Haas, as the 9 yr. old boy with huge saucer eyes, conveys the perfect amount of curiosity as a child who is 'witnessing' 2 very different worlds at such a young age. When he sees the violent murder in the beginning of the film, we're seeing it through his terrified, wondrous eyes/emotions.
The contrast btwn. the tranquil Amish community & the brutal city life is beautifully depicted by Weir, his production team, & most of all - cinematographer John Seale. The way Seale captures that 1st murder scene; the various meaningful close-ups of the characters; an elongated barn raising sequence; John Book & Rachel dancing while he sings 'What a Wonderful World'; the ethereal beauty of the landscape shots ... it's all wonderful, and lends to the ambiance of the film. Now, portions of the film do run slowly. I was engrossed. But I do acknowledge that some of the film could have been trimmed. But overall, 'Witness' overcomes any small flaws to be a thoroughly immersive, mercurial, & ultimately gripping movie experience.
'Witness' is a sort of marvelous film. It is a thriller, yes. There is murder, chases, etc. The opening & closing segments of the film are nail-bitingly intense. But so, too, is the film a languorous character-based drama, a fish-out-of-water story, a story about corruption in the police force, a voyeuristic view into the quiet, antiquated lifestyle of the Amish, and it's also a beguiling romance btwn. a city cop & a meek Amish widow. And the fact that director Peter Weir throws all of that at us & creates such a smooth yarn of it all in under 2 hours is a truly magnificent feat.
Harrison Ford - in a role that couldn't be farther away from his typical action/adventure fare - is intoxicating as John Book. You just like him; and pull for him every step of the way. There's nuance in the performance that we've never seen from Ford before. Kelly McGillis (in only her 2nd film role) exudes a sort of majesty & grace that the camera simply loves. The crux of this movie deals with the changing relationship btwn. Ford & McGillis. And the movie succeeds, in good part, to their slow-burn chemistry. Lukas Haas, as the 9 yr. old boy with huge saucer eyes, conveys the perfect amount of curiosity as a child who is 'witnessing' 2 very different worlds at such a young age. When he sees the violent murder in the beginning of the film, we're seeing it through his terrified, wondrous eyes/emotions.
The contrast btwn. the tranquil Amish community & the brutal city life is beautifully depicted by Weir, his production team, & most of all - cinematographer John Seale. The way Seale captures that 1st murder scene; the various meaningful close-ups of the characters; an elongated barn raising sequence; John Book & Rachel dancing while he sings 'What a Wonderful World'; the ethereal beauty of the landscape shots ... it's all wonderful, and lends to the ambiance of the film. Now, portions of the film do run slowly. I was engrossed. But I do acknowledge that some of the film could have been trimmed. But overall, 'Witness' overcomes any small flaws to be a thoroughly immersive, mercurial, & ultimately gripping movie experience.