Admirable film.

Absolutely brilliant

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Like Bordertown, I Witness exposes another underbelly of corporate internationalism seeking windfall profits by escaping fair trade practices, fair wages and scrutiny by government agencies created to protect environmental concerns. Hiding behind Mexico's drug wars, the new gangsters of corporate thuggery use criminal means to cloak the cost of dumping toxic chemical waste upon the unsuspecting in a country where a bribe can cover any crime, no matter the number and innocence of victims. And like Bordertown, I Witness takes with fiction the excursions into truth today's mess media would dare not touch upon. Jeff Daniels and James Spader typically provide glowing performances while Clifton Collier Jr's performance places as something grand to see. Rowdy Harrington's direction is professionally able and the camera work is exceptional. Writers Colin Greene and Robert Ozn are to be commended. A film whose time is come and whose value exceeds entertainment, this should have been required viewing by Congress before passing on trade agreements that have undermined the quality of life on both sides of the border. JCH

I've just watched this as the late night film on the BBC and have to say I was really impressed. I soldiered through the first 10 minutes or so which don't give a good impression of the film. After that however the characters grow or seem to be more comfortable, having moved away from a slightly stereotypical "do-gooder" (Daniels), "cute American" (de Rossi), "resentful cop" (Collins) and "enigmatic government agent" (Spader). When the characters are established they really seem to have a very natural relationship and the film stays away from any hint of being a "buddy movie", which given the seriousness of the topic, would have been a mistake. What you are left with are just well seen characterisations, the same is equally true for the supporting cast.I enjoyed the setting of Mexico and the urban scenes which the director used to make the film look very 'normal'; no glossy idealised Mexican villages but equally no attempt to make the backdrop look squalid unless it needed to be. I suppose this is no big deal but it did make me pay more attention to the plot and the actors.It is the plot and its unravelling which makes this worth watching. The viewer is lead through the story only knowing as much as the characters, and like them, is led down some blind alleys before the denouement, which in itself I found worthwhile.Like another reviewer I found the ending just slightly contrived, apart from that I couldn't see any faults and have to say I found this thoroughly enjoyable and considerably more captivating and enjoyable than many of the so called thrillers being released at the moment.If you get a chance to rent this or it's on TV then I'd say it's well worth watching.

I really like to watch thrillers, if that's a name you can put to the films which contain action, suspense, mystery, drama; everything in one package. Sometimes we just call them suspense films. I like the "thriller" designation, especially because of the arguments I'm about to deal with here.I should say I like to watch thrillers because I'm expecting some adrenaline. I'm expecting to connect with a story, with the characters. "Seven" reached that goal in my expectations. It's an exceptional thriller. There are not much more thrillers that have captivated me. "Heat" is another one, maybe, if you can call it a thriller. So every time I sit to watch this type of film, I'm prepared. In cases of movies like "I Witness", things don't go very, or that well (referring to the other ones)."I witness" is not a good thriller. Not because it lacks the elements, no. It has them all; but they are not managed correctly. The action scenes are constantly repeated, the suspense is not felt (and this eliminates mystery), it's hard to believe the drama. Casting has united a strong ensemble here. Maybe the ones that made a mistake were the persons in the ensemble, at the time they chose to be in it.Some days ago I was talking about Jeff Daniels. We were discussing and I heard someone saying that he is always playing the same role. Probably. I like him as an actor, but I have got to think if he is really "choosing" his roles. He could be playing with them. He'll give you a good performance, but he is not really wanting to. He is so relaxed and disinterested; he doesn't seem to care.Some characters have big names but little participation. Portia de Rossi; I'm talking about her. I don't like her very much. She has that cute face but never seems to be comfortable in her roles or show any talent when playing them. Then there is James Spader; he seems to be drawn. He doesn't show any emotion, not even when he's having sex with a woman. Jordi Caballero, a sort of newcomer, finds the note for the role, although he overacts it most of the time.Then I should finish talking about the only impression the movie left on me, believe it or not. You could think I'm joking, but I was "thrilled" (not bad if a thriller causes that impression) with Clifton Collin Jr's performance. What an ability he has to create emotions at the time he has a serious look. He can be so sad and not fake it, yet make it real. I haven't seen him much, but I remember him in the little roles he played in "Tigerland" (very good movie, and one of Colin Farrell's best performances) and "The Last Castle". He was superb here.The movie was predictable and you could sense the ending. The most disappointing thing will be; that if you don't guess the ending, you won't be surprised by the resolution the movie shows to you. It will be just another possibility, like everything. Now that's not a good sign about a thriller, is it?

Finally - an action/thriller flick that rocked me with a bona fide mystery! I hate "spoiler" reviews so I can't get into too much story. Needless to say, it's a top notch thinking man's action film. Jeff Daniels plays a Human Rights Watch type whose been demoted and sent to Tijuana because he punched out a journalist. This ain't no Greenpeace bleeding heart. He is one p***ed off and tortured tough son of a bitch. But Daniels never swaggers. He plays it with such subtlety and finesse, you know you're witnessing the kind of performance only given by actors who have the trust and confidence in their skills borne of years of experience. Clifton Collins is a Mexican homicide detective afflicted with the job of aiding Daniels in his investigation of a peasant massacre on the US/Mexican border. Collins has the same temperature of Latin fire as Al Pacino. His characterization is so convincing, it didn't even dawn on me until I saw the credits that this is the same actor who played Frankie Flowers the gay, sadistic assassin in "Traffic." He is an entirely different being - a star to watch. Spader mesmerizes by virtue of his edgy intelligence. He can ask for a drink of water and you are compelled to wonder about what he really wants. Portia De Rossi gives a gutsy performance as Daniels US government adversary, though it took me a while to get used to her playing a true hard ass. No Ally McBeal here.The writing was first rate. Maybe the bottom line best thing about the movie. I don't know who the writing team is - Colin Green and Robert Ozn - they don't have any other credits - I looked them up on imdb. It's kind of the best of old-school, 70s writing meets 21st century dialogue and pacing. I could picture these guys writing "The French Connection" as well as "Desperado." I do wonder, though, if the Ozn part of the team is the same (or related?) Ozn from the band Ebn-Ozn.It's by far the best thing Rowdy Herrington's ever directed. Miles above his Bruce Willis action flick - can't remember the name off the top of my head. He's very good with street action, makes it ring true without any tricks, never amping you up with manipulations or pyrotechnics. There's a moment where a union activist gets knee-capped, and I could feel the hammer drop. Cinematography and production values are filled with foreboding and dark secrets. At times, it's almost claustrophobic and creepy and then suddenly - there's sunlight.The only thing I'll give a 'fair' grade to was the music. It was sound design styled synth stuff, and for a film set in Tijuana, it didn't work for me. It wasn't bad, just the wrong color.