Customer Reviews

Eyewitness

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 1981 film directed by Peter Yates is well worth spending a couple of hours watching. The cast is outstanding: William Hurt as a night janitor, Sigourney Weaver as a TV reporter, Christopher Plummer as her fiancee and smuggler of Jews out of the Soviet Union, James Woods as a Vietnam vet screw-up, Morgan Freeman as a New York City cop with an afro et al. Oh, and we cannot forget Hurt's doberman Ralph who gives quite a performance as well.

The story works on several levels. On the surface it's a murder mystery. (Hurt as Daryll Deever doesn't know as much about the murder as several people think, much to his danger. It is also a male Cinderella love story as Hurt has been besotted with Weaver (Tony Skolow) for sometime, so much so that he sets the timer on his VCR to catch her covering local New York City news. His obsession with Weaver gets him into real trouble as he pretends to know more about the death of a much despised Vietnamese businessman in his building where he works as a janitor in order to get close to her. Finally there is the story-line with serious ramifications: how far should a person go and to what ends-- even to killing an innocent man-- to accomplish his most worthy goal, the smuggling of other innocents out of a dictatorial state.

If you are a fan of any of these actors or you like a film that is more than a superficial mystery, this film is for you.

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.

("The Janitor Doesn't Dance" was the working title of this film during production).

Sigourney Weaver's previous film was ALIEN and William Hurt's was ALTERED STATES so I was excited to see them together in EYEWITNESS. They work well together and I liked the premise of a Vietnam Vet janitor pretending to know more than he does about a murder in order to get close to a reporter looking for a scoop.

One of the cool things about this film is that nearly every character has a personal storyline. If the script had more momentum for its finale, I would've given it five stars but I did enjoy how characters felt like fully-realized people. This is a murder mystery populated with genuine characters so it feels loose and realistic.

If you enjoy the actors, definitely check this one out.

When Daryl Deever (William Hurt) tells TV reporter Tony Sokolow (Sigourney Weaver) he knows more than he actually does about a murder in the building where he works as a janitor, he gets more than he bargained for. Deever is a good guy, smart enough but ambitious only on his own terms. He's sort of engaged to his best friend's sister, but he's had a crush on Sokolow for two years. When the man in the building gets his throat slit, Sokolow is one of the reporters on the scene. Deever sees a perfect chance to get to meet her, so he tells her he may know something. She goes after the story and he goes after her. Sokolow is not quite engaged to a dedicated, capable man known as Joseph (Christopher Plummer), who is good friends with Sokolow's parents. It becomes clear that her wealthy parents, their rich friends and Joseph are engaged in the shadowy business of buying illegal ways for Jews to escape from the Soviet Union and to journey to Israel. And it appears that the man killed may have had an involvement, too. Before long, the man's associates learn of Deever's gambit with Sokolow and go after them to find out who was behind the killing. More lethally, the real murderer learns of what Deever said to Sokolow and believes Deever might actually know something. He goes after Deever.

This is a tight, well constructed murder mystery with two first-rate components. First is the romance which builds between the characters played by Hurt and Weaver. These two people are attractive and smart. Hurt, in particular, comes across as guileless but he's no one's patsy. The two are very likable. Second, the situation which develops poses some ethical questions. Grades of gray come into play; it wouldn't be accurate to say that the murderer is simply another bad guy.

The movie also features some first-rate actors besides Hurt and Weaver. There's Christopher Plummer who, as usual, brings so much assurance and nuance to his role; James Woods as the best friend, always a little off balance; Pamela Reed as Woods' sister; her mutual declaration of non-love with Hurt is very funny and appealing; Steven Hill and Morgan Freeman as the two cops assigned to the case; Kenneth McMillan as Hurt's father, angry and vulnerable; and Irene Worth and Albert Paulsen as Weaver's parents, people who love her but, especially the mother, always put responsibilities and obligations into the love. They all are very good.

I like this movie a lot. The DVD picture looks fine. There are no extras to speak of.

Sigourney Weaver,William Hurt and James Woods rule in this great underrated gem.It's well worth watching!!

Eyewitness, 1981 film

The story begins in the basement of an office building. The janitor empties wastepaper baskets. He talks to one businessman about a former employee. "He wasn't nice." Darryl returns home and his dog greets him. Next we see an opulent party where classical music is played. This is a fund raiser for freedom for a minority behind the Iron Curtain. Back at work Darryl meets his friend Aldo. Late at night Darryl sees an occupied office with the door open. There is a dead man on the floor. The police ask him questions about Aldo. Mr. Long was known to many, according to rumor. A TV reporter, Tony Sokolow, talks to Darryl, but doesn't like his answers. Tony later meets Darryl to learn what he may know. Does her floor need waxing? Who is watching him? There is a family dinner with personal conflicts and tension. [Is this realistic?]

The police detectives watch Darryl. Darryl again meets the reporter. He has a way with horses. What does he know? Two men abduct Tony, but she escapes and is rescued by Darryl. She goes to his apartment and they converse. Later Darryl meets Linda and tells her he never loved her; she says the same. [A reaction?] Tony's mother gives her advice. Darryl has a near fatal accident at work! Aldo is in trouble again, this time over borrowed money. [Who would lend him money?] Tony tells Darryl she has a boyfriend, Joseph is older and richer. Darryl's dog has a problem, what is wrong? Was Ralph poisoned? Then an intruder attacks Darryl! Why would he try to kill him? Did he also kill Long? Later Joseph explains what happened to Tony's parents. Did he have to kill Darryl? [Did you wonder if something else is going on?] Will Tony be used to lure Darryl into a trap? [Yes, note the technique used here! Make an appointment, then change it for another place.] People shoot at Darryl! But firecrackers provide a diversion.

Darryl hides in this strange building, which houses horses. Tony learns of the change in plans when she visits Darryl's place and calls the police. Can Darryl escape with those horses and avoid the two assassins? There is a fight and Darryl escapes as the police arrive. There is a shooting, one man will not talk. "He seemed to be going for a gun." Tony and Darryl meet again. Will they find happiness? [Probably not.]

Could a charity that aids refugees be used as a cover for smuggling valuables (like diamonds)? We know that opium was harvested in Indo-China then smuggled into America by various means, such as body bags. Who would look into a sealed coffin? Basically, this is a murder mystery where an ordinary man gets entangled, like some Eric Ambler novel.

Weaver, Hurt, James Woods, Morgan Freeman...all more or less in the early part of their careers, in this little known 80's film. Great acting with the "young" version of all of the above. I loved the story where a lowly janitor is the hero. Having put myself through college working as a janitor, I can identify...at least with the janitor part (I did not get involved in any murder cases or hook up with any famous TV journalists).

This movie is very well done and quite entertaining, with above average complexity to the plot; yet not so twisty that you have trouble following the story. You will find yourself rooting for the janitor (Hurt). Christopher Plummer is in top form as the evil bad guy. A young James Woods in one of his patented weasel roles. Well worth watching just to see these great actors in their developmental years.

This is Sigourney's second studio film and it holds up fairly well. However the DVD release is disappointing. There are no close captioning or subtitles and the film transfer is weak. I hope that 20th Century Fox will shell out some money next time for a better DVD edition. This movie deserves better. Great cast and great script. They dont make movies like this anymore....

I just saw this movie on IN HD2. Some people said that this movie is a hidden gem. At first, I felt the same way. I didn't even know such a movie existed. Then after about 30 minutes, the movie became really boring. It just drags on with a weak synopsis. The cast includes some famous actors and actresses, and I think they are pretty good actors, but without an interesting storyline, the movie is a boring piece of work that leaves no impressions.

Zionism! Sigourney Weaver plays a
good jewish girl in love with a
cleancut gentile guy (no shades
of 'Bridgette Loves Bernie' here!).
Her older racist brother (Christo-
pher Plummer) plays a jewish defence
league / terrorist-type who tries to
kill William Hurt, in one of his best
roles. I sent a copy of this film to
Mike Hoffman, the Idaho revisionist
and he did nothing with it including
acknowledging receiving it. Obviously,
I sent it to the wrong person! This
film should be spread around to show
what a bunch of racists the zionists
are! What the Palestinians are suf-
fering in the middleeast is the tip
of iceberg...Hollywood let the cat
out of the bag on this one and I am
glad!