23 years ago Tony Lord (Dermot Mulroney; J. Edgar) was a suspect in the murder of his high school sweetheart. Though he was acquitted of the charge and police convicted another man of the crime, some people in his hometown still blame him for the death. In the present Tony is one of the best defense attorney’s money can buy, which is fortunate for Tony’s old  high school friend Sam Robb (Michael Cudlitz; Band of Brothers) who has been accused of murdering one of his students. When Tony arrives he discovers the truth, that Sam had been in a sexual relationship with his student prior to her death, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When all is revealed will Tony have it in him to defend his friend or will he uncover a darker truth?

Silent Witness is a powerful court house drama that finds the perfect leading man in Dermot Mulroney. Mulroney portrays his character as a straight forward shark in and out of the courthouse, and his long lived experience as an actor in several major motion pictures and acclaimed television shows provides a masterful performance. Michael Cudlitz is decent, the film doesn’t ask to much of him but where it counts his performance helps in the forward progression of the movie. Anne Heche (Hung) plays Cudlitz’s wife, the one who originally made the call for help to Tony, and her character provides the right amount of suspicion to help keep you guessing. Another character, Michael Ramos, played by Anthony Ruivivar (Starship Troopers), adds just the right amount of balance as well as another suspect in the mystery.

The film feels a bit rushed at times and back flashes can become a bit repetitive, but overall Silent Witness is a TV movie that provides excellence in its court room appeal, mystery, and story. Personally I thought the revelation at the end of the film was excellent, just a bit softly delivered, but it closes out the film on a high note. Well worth checking out simply for Mulroney’s performance but definitely one you wont regret spending an hour and some change looking over.