Witness for the Prosecution

An academically refined courtroom drama that deceives body and soul the whole time, only to catch us off guard at the end, after prematurely evaluating the seemingly bland and unoriginal story. Yet the script is excellent, fully covering and explaining every second of the narrative despite the many guesses and oblique motifs, with Wilder once again expertly manoeuvring the line between a serious premise and a light-hearted character tale. But there is one problem with the film, at first it comes across as an admittedly flawless, yet emotionally dimensionless drama that relies on the surprise and quality of its twist, but on a second viewing, all that remains is our willingness to watch again a story where nothing can surprise us and where we will search in vain for something more than just another proof that Wilder knew how to put scenes together into a compact whole and that his films are simply good to watch. I was expecting a slightly more intense experience as a viewer. 80% (04/04/2016)

Let's leave aside the fact that Marlene has lost her golden man because of a spoiler (although through Agatha it would be very apt), but let's take our cue from the first verse of "I May Never Go Home Anymore," - Come on, join the party / have a hearty glass of rum / Don't ever think about tomorrow / for tomorrow may never come. Marlene with a harmonica? Always! (02/13/2009)

This is what happens when you cast someone who can truly resonate with their character in the lead role, but you also have a director who can guide the story with just the right amount of levity, leaving you breathless by the end, perhaps even if you're familiar with the source material. A masterpiece by Charles Laughton and Billy Wilder. (06/29/2017)