I Witness (2003)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Rowdy Herrington

Writers (WGA):

Colin Greene (written by) &
Robert Ozn (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Thriller | Crime

Plot:

After 27 bodies are discovered in a collapsed tunnel in Tijuana, a man tries to unravel the mystery before becoming the next victim.

Plot Keywords:

Tijuana | Human Rights | Union | State Department | Detective

Cast

Jeff Daniels	...	James Rhodes
James Spader	...	Douglas Draper
Portia de Rossi	...	Emily Thompson (as Portia De Rossi)
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Claudio Castillo
Wade Williams	...	Roy Logan (as Wade Andrew Williams)
Mark Carlton	...	Carter
Jordi Caballero	...	Captain Madrid
Adriano González	...	Umberto Zato (as Adriano Gonzalez)
Pablo Cunqueiro	...	Father Perez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ricardo Alvarez	...	Bolo
Yan England	...	Jud
Norman Grant	...	Fields (as Norman J. Grant)
Oscar H. Guerrero	...	Antonio
Enrique Huertas	...	Ramon
Carolyn Seymour	...	Lady Anne
Cole Williams	...	Hunt Carter

Also Known As:

Nur tote Zeugen schweigen - I Witness (Germany) (DVD title)

Runtime:

Argentina:98 min | Germany:95 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Spanish | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Company:

Promark Entertainment Group

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rhodes and Emily Thompson are drinking "doubles" in the bar; as they converse, their glasses go from newly filled to almost empty to newly filled again within moments.

Quotes:

[Castillo, who's a detective, and Rhodes, who's an American, are being shot at while investigating some shacks in Mexico]
James Rhodes: People hunt out here a lot?
Claudio Castillo: Just for gringos and dumb cops.

The Wonderful Surprise of the Year: An Excellent and Very Realistic Thriller, Having the Style of Costa-Gravas Movies

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')