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| EYEWITNESS (1981) | |
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The improbable brings to mind what cannot be achieved, and when it happens
it often presents a fantasy. On occasion, implausible events take
place and when they do unusual things happen. They also bring
together people that would never have encountered one another, unless the
unbelievable occurrence would have taken place. Eyewitness presents
such an experience through Daryll Deever (William Hurt), a Vietnam War
veteran who has sought the job as a janitor for the purpose of solitude.
On a late night, when Daryll has finished his work for the night he hears strange sounds coming from one of the more secure offices. The office belongs to a Vietnamese businessman whom has fired Daryll’s best friend and future brother-in-law Aldo Mercer (James Woods) some days earlier. When Daryll enters the office he finds the businessman murdered. From the opening until this moment the film presents several motives for many different people to be the prime suspects for the murder. When Lt. Black (Morgan Freeman) and Lt. Jacobs (Steven Hill) begin the investigation no clear clues emerge that would help them find the murderer. The implausible happens when Daryll meets Tony Sokolow (Sigourney Weaver), an upper-class woman with strong motivation to succeed as a television journalist. In addition, Daryll has an obsession for Tony, as he tapes all her appearances on television on his VCR. Daryll discovers that Tony is on the case and presents himself as an eyewitness in order to get closer to Tony. However, several individuals notice this move by Daryll, and it is only a question of time until someone will get to him. Yet, Daryll is willing to take this risk to get to know Tony, as he wants to charm Tony to fall for him. However, she is married to Joseph (Christopher Plummer) who frequently leaves the country through his political work, as he tries to smuggle Jewish people out of the Soviet Union. Eyewitness tries to present a suspenseful Cinderella story where a janitor falls for a rich and successful woman. Regrettably, the film provides more intricate details, which on occasion, make the film feel a little confusing. In addition, the film tries to create suspense by not telling certain details, which are essential for the audience to understand where the film is going, and this too is puzzling. However, Eyewitness displays several strong performances by a wide range of talents such as Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, James Woods, Morgan Freeman and Christopher Plummer. The actors save the cinematic experience, as they bring along something intriguing to watch, as the story as a whole will leave the audience bewildered. |
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DIRECTED BY |
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| Peter Yates | |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| BY KIM ANEHALL – 8/18/2005 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
