The Perfect Witness
by Thomas C. Dunn
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Beth Grant, Joanne Baron, Kenny Johnson, Mark Borkowski, Wes BentleyDirector: Thomas C. Dunn
Brand: First Look Pictures
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-19
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: First Look Pictures
Movie Reviews of The Perfect Witness
Movie Review: A Pleasant Surprise from an Unpleasant Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Given the resources, this was an outstanding, surprisingly well-made film. Borkowski is not only impressive in his portrayal of the serial killer- who is actually more level-headed and logical than all the other characters around him- but he (along with Thomas C. Dunn) also wrote the story.
Also noteworthy is the inclusion of the realistic profile that killers could be people who do charitable work under the watchful eye of the public during daylight hours. There are so many movies that show antagonists in an absolute black-and-white portrayal, and this is simply not the case. We often hear news reports of monsters being hauled away when neighbors are interviewed afterwards with astonished faces, saying "he was such a nice, quiet person with good manners." In showing this, Borkowski and Dunn gives the film an added angle that a murderer could be any one, just around the corner, your neighbor or mine. And that's the primary key to creating fear, because when you walk out of the cinema or finish the dvd, you will look at your nice, courteous neighbors with a sense of doubt. You are no longer that sure...just like waking up from a nightmare involving your partner (who is sleeping next to you) hacking you to pieces and asking yourself, "how safe am I?"
Entertainment is not meant to go down that route. But if the creators set out to do that, they have suceeded here.
It is probably safe to say that most, if not all of us, won't have any idea how a true serial killer behaves, let alone what goes on in his or her mind. But a storyteller like Borkowski & Dunn utilizes our collective perception to create a recognizable atmosphere of dread.
This movie will inevitably be compared to Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer, but it is a far superior version of it, combining a social and moral dialogue on the media's and public's grim fascination with murderers. It does this in a way that is more accessible than Michael Hanneke (eg. the original Funny Games). One of the premise is this: It's all very interesting to learn and watch a demented person when you are on the other side of the lens, but what happens when that demented person arrives in your backyard?
The grey zone is so blurred here, one doesn't know whether to be more disgusted with the serial killer for doing what he may have no control over, or the film-maker, who choses to hold the camera, yet pleads with his star not to kill the victim when he's around: "We don't need to see this, we can hear about it" or "You don't touch anybody or hurt anyone when I'm around."
There are twists and turns that keep the story from falling flat on its face. Bentley's acting is a little bit below par, but overall, Borkowski has shown here that with adequate craft in storytelling, superior acting, and the proper use of background music, one can create a high-strung, tension-filled movie with a modest budget.
Considering all these factors, Perfect Witness is easily the most impressive sleeper I have seen from 2007.
Summary of The Perfect Witness
Mickey (Wes Bentley) is about to get his big break as an amateur filmmaker . . . from a serial killer who turns him and his camera into THE PERFECT WITNESS.
This action-packed psychological thriller takes you into the twisted depths of brutality at its worst. As a struggling young filmmaker, Mickey accidentally stumbles upon a notorious serial killer, James Lemac (Mark Borkowski), and catches one of his murders on film. Believing he can captured the ultimate reality show, Mickey contacts Lemac and sets a face to face to make the serial killer simple offer; Lemac is to be the subject of his new documentary or the grisly murder footage goes straight to the cops. Lemac gives in to the blackmail. What follows is an exhausting and psychological game of cat and mouse between filmmaker and subject. As the lines of blackmail continually shift back and forth, Mickey must ultimately confront the darkest side of not only the killer?s nature, but his own.
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