Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

I enjoyed this adaptation of an Agatha Christie play. Every actor played their part wonderfully, and I loved how full the courtroom was packed with extras. It was a great to see how the UK courts are different than US courts.

It's really evident that the movie was adapted from a stage play. There are really only two sets: the lawyer's office and the courtroom. For a more modern adaptation I'd like to see the murder scene, or a bail hearing, or an interview with the wife somewhere besides the lawyer's office. The plot just seems to speed by without being able to breathe in realistic locations.

The courtroom scenes were stuffed with wonderfully fluffy dialogue! Lots of witness testimony beyond the plot-essential testimony from the wife. Sir Wilfred proved his shrewdness against the other witnesses. It would be nice to spend more time after the trial, with Sir Wilfred thinking about how the trial went. The twists came too quickly at the end!