I rented "Mute Witness" based on a lot of overly positive reviews I'd read praising its craftsmanship and suspense. After seeing it, do I believe it's on par with, say, Hitchcock's "Frenzy"? Not at all. Is it a passable way to kill 90 minutes? Sure, and to its credit, it is much better than a lot of the dreck lining video shelves...but it is also just frustratingly average. Writer/director Anthony Waller builds an effective setpiece early on (reminiscent of the 'museum scene' in "Dressed to Kill"), where Billy (Maria Sudina), a mute makeup artist on a low-budget movie, witnesses what appears to be a snuff film, and proceeds to get chased through the building by the perpetrators, always keeping one move ahead. This is very complex and well-done, but sadly, it's the high point of "Mute Witness." After that, the film becomes a labyrinth of plot twists that even the director can't keep track of (though you'll be one step ahead of each), made all the more confusing because of some very, VERY thick Russian accents (oftentimes I couldn't tell if it was Russian or just very broken English the characters were speaking--subtitles please!), and two American filmmakers who bring an awkward sitcom quality to the proceedings. I like movies that don't deliver what is expected, but I dislike it when movies emphasize style over character, which "Mute Witness" does seemingly every five minutes in the last act--Waller has apparently watched too many Dario Argento films. Despite its flaws, "Mute Witness" is an okay film, buoyed by a fantastic lead performance from Maria Sudina, who is more expressive and charismatic than most Hollywood starlets.
5.5/10
5.5/10