Hostile Witness

Little-known, winning courtroom mystery
1968's 'Hostile Witness' is a light but well-staged U.K. courtroom 'whodunit' written by playwright Jack Roffey (based on his play of the same name) and, notably, directed by its star Ray Milland (whose other such efforts include 1958's 'The Safecracker' and 1962's 'Panic in the Year Zero'). The briskly paced plot-- a respectable murder-mystery solved at trial by prime suspect/former prosecutor Milland, who's forced ultimately to represent himself-- and fine roster of seasoned British character actors provide enough nuance, humor and suspense to keep you contentedly in your seat (if not quite on the edge of it) for the film's somewhat bulky 100-minute running time. The MGM DVD-R (I'm sick of complaining about this cheap format) looks very nice, with rich color reproduction in a clear anamorphic widescreen print encumbered only by a few artifacts here and there. Presentation and content together earn a solid 3 1/2 stars.

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