SILENT WITNESS

US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Dermot Mulroney, Anne Heche, Michael Cudlitz, Judd Hirsch.
Directed by Peter Markle.

Silent Witness is a standard telemovie, based on a novel by popular writer, Richard North Patterson. There are two murder mysteries, twenty years apart. Dermot Mulroney plays a lawyer who was suspected of the first murder and has come in to defend his friend from his schooldays who has been charged with the second murder. Anne Heche plays the wife of the accused man. Judd Hirsch plays an elderly and wise legal counsel. The accused man is played convincingly by Michael Cudlitz.

Most of the film is set in the courtrooms. This makes it an interesting drama with the interplay between the prosecutor and Mulroney as the defence counsel.

There is a twist at the end, perhaps too easy a resolution of the mystery – but, the twist is interesting insofar as the possible suspects (another teacher in the town, the suspect’s wife) are quite innocent and the accused has been lying.

1. An interesting murder mystery? Court case? For television? Based on a popular novel?

2. The town settings, the high school, homes, the woods, the coast? The courtrooms? The realistic atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The title? The murdered women? The earlier victim, the testimony she gave decades later?

4. The focus on Tony Lord, his career? A celebrity? His wife? His going to the help of his friend Sam? Meeting Kate? The interviews with Sam, the memories of their past sports, football, basketball? Sam and his assuring Tony that he was innocent? Gradually telling him the story? Tony and his preparation of the case, the discussions with Saul Rubin? The challenges to Michael Ramos?

5. The picturing of the killings? The opening with Marcie and her rushing through the forest, falling over the cliff? The flashbacks to the night of the first murder, Tony and his relationship with Alison? The sexual implications?

6. The court case? The prosecutor, her vigour, her hard-hitting language, no holds barred? The contrast with Tony, his calm, his undermining of the prosecutor’s attack, the questions to the witnesses, Marcie’s best friend, Michael Ramos? The police? The psychologist?

7. Sam, his behaviour during the trial? Tony urging him to behave well? His demand to go on the stand? His wanting to save his reputation?

8. The irony and whether audiences noticed – Sam’s wanting to save his reputation by contesting to the truth of what happened? Yet his reputation for having sexual relationships with an underage girl?

9. The hung jury? Sam free? Kate, her coming to Tony, the witness of the sweatshirt? The truth of what happened? Michael Ramos and his relationship with his wife, hitting her, the divorce, his being under suspicion, his discussions with Marcie? His innocence?

10. Tony, examining the first case, seeing the photos? The slides destroyed? Yet the parallel manner of death, the rough sex? Suspicions of Sam?

11. Tony going to Sam, accusing him, Sam pulling the gun – shooting himself?

12. The solution to the mysteries? The vindication of the innocent? A satisfying crime thriller?