Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uiucdcsb.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcsb!render From: render@uiucdcsb.UUCP Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: Witness Message-ID: <10000118@uiucdcsb.UUCP> Date: Sun, 10-Feb-85 17:22:00 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.10000118 Posted: Sun Feb 10 17:22:00 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 12-Feb-85 06:14:25 EST References: <1238@ihuxm.UUCP> Lines: 42 Nf-ID: #R:ihuxm:-123800:uiucdcsb:10000118:000:1907 Nf-From: uiucdcsb!render Feb 10 16:22:00 1985 [] Just saw witness friday night, and I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. It was directed by Peter Weir, who also did Gallipoli and Year of Living Dangerously (I think), and stars Harrison Ford. ** M I N I - S P O I L E R ** The Plot: Harrison Ford is Philadelphia homicide detective John Book, who must investigate the murder of an undercover police officer. The sole witness to the killing is a young Amish boy, Samuel, who, with his mother Rachel, is on his way to visit relatives in Baltimore (the murder occurs in the restroom of the Philadelphia train station). Circumstances force Ford to flee with the boy and his mother back to their home in rural Pennsylvania, where they try to escape the killers. Review: a very enjoyable film. The film moves steadily and has a very involving relationship developing between Ford and Rachel, the boy's mother. Ford lends a lot of presence to his character, and the female lead (sorry, I can't remember her name) is also fine. The cinematography and general atmosphere are beautiful (as expected from Weir), although at times it seemed as if there were too much time spent on setting the mood and not enough on dialogue. If you are expecting a Dirty Harry film, it's not, and if you expecting an Indiana Jones movie, it's not. It is an intri- guing look at the growing involvement between two very different people under very harrowing circumstances. I would give it three stars. *** Hal Render University of Illinois {pur-ee, ihnp4} ! uiucdcs ! render render@uiuc.csnet render@uiuc.arpa