THE WITNESS (2016) — Sleeper Awakened

12/6/2016 - The Witness (2016) - 7-/10

A captivating quest for knowledge and answers on an enduring crime. Smartly constructed, with alluring visual clues and an ingenious watercolor historical reimagining. While smartly engaging, it haults at the barrier of intrigue, never truly crossing the boundary over towards deep emotional connection. There is sympathy and a definite desire for the main character (brother of the slain Kitty Genovese) to fulfill his quandrous desires, but the time and calculation of it all detach a good portion of that emotional impact.

Very interesting and generally well done, on a sociological and investigative front, the documentary is a real winner. It may not empathically ensnare me as much as I might have wanted it to, it still stands as a fine documentary feature w/ purpose.