Under Suspicion DVD with Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Thomas Jane (R) +Movie Reviews

Top rate crime drama

flickjunkie | 01/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One has to suspect that any film starring and produced by Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman is going to be good. That assumption would not lead to disappointment in this case. This is a terrific psychological crime drama with an excellent story, great acting and powerful directing.Henry Hearst (Gene Hackman) is a prominent and wealthy citizen of San Juan, Puerto Rico, who found the body of a young girl who had been murdered. Police captain Victor Benezet (Morgan Freeman) is a long time friend of Hearst's and asks him to come down to the station answer some questions and tie up some lose ends. What ensues is a blistering interrogation where it is clear that Hearst is the prime suspect.The script is smart, probing and full of nuance. Subtle hints in both directions make us continually re-evaluate Hearst's guilt or innocence as the interrogation twists and turns. The ending is a surprise and quite abstruse, requiring some reflection to fathom.Stephen Hopkins' (Lost In Space) direction is fabulous. The camerawork is excellent, using various perspectives and jump cuts to lend power to the dialogue. I would have liked to see more character development of Captain Benezet to understand his obsessive motivation of trying to nail Hearst. Also, it seems a bit incongruous to have this set in Puerto Rico and have so many obviously American characters. Nonetheless, the work by Hopkins is first-rate overall.The acting is superb. Morgan Freeman gives a brilliant performance, worthy of an Oscar nomination in my opinion. His dogged pursuit of Hearst never lets up as he is slowly eaten alive by his fixation with proving Hearst is the murderer. Hackman's performance is equally outstanding. His is the most complex and mentally tortured character in the film, and he portrays Hearst like a rat on an electric grid. Italian star Monica Belucci is mysterious and lovely as Hearst's suspicious wife in one of her few American films. The only mediocre performance comes from Thomas Jane as the detective. He is unable to match the rhythm and intensity of the rest of the cast. This part probably should have gone to a Hispanic actor in keeping with the setting.This intense and clever film keeps the audience guessing throughout. I rated it a 9/10. It is an entertaining film for the thinking viewer."

Gripping crime thriller is a wonderful midnight movie

Austin C. Beeman | Waterville, Ohio United States | 05/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are certain films that are so quiet and intense that they demand to be watched in the middle of night. After the hustle and activity of the day is finished this intense crime thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman can be enjoyed. Hackman plays a wealthy Puerto Rico lawyer who is questioned by old friend Freeman about a corpse that he discovered. As Hackman's story changes, Freeman probes deeper and deeper into Hackman's private life trying to discover whether or not his friend is a murderer.This movie grabs the viewer from the opening titles and takes you breathlessly through the story without graphic violence and only slight sexuality. It does so on the sheer power of the performances and the story.This is a complex thriller that is truly in the Hitchcock tradition."

Two old pros conjure a masterpiece of misdirection

Joseph Haschka | Glendale, CA USA | 01/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Puerto Rico is the unlikely setting for UNDER SUSPICION, a who-done-it that's essentially a stage spotlighted for two of America's finest actors, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman. The latter plays a police captain, Victor Benezet, investigating the recent rape and murder of two young girls. Hackman plays lawyer Henry Hearst, Victor's erstwhile friend, and now the prime suspect. This film features less of Hollywood's usual recipe of thrills, and focuses more on the personalities of the two principals as they verbally spar back and forth as Benezet attempts to close the case. Thomas Jane plays a young homicide detective who'd rather beat a confession out of Hearst than obtain one through the finesse of interrogation. The magnificently sensual actress, Monica Bellucci, plays Hearst's much younger wife Chantal, icily unavailable to his physical affections after deciding that he was having an affair with her teenage niece. Or was he?The duel begins when Benezet requests that Hearst stop by the police station to answer a few minor questions. After all, it'll only take ten minutes or so, and Hearst will not be delayed attending a charity fund-raising dinner across the street, at which he is to give the main toast at the behest of Benezet's boss, the police Superintendent. Talk about pressure to get on with it.Initially, the plot seems nothing more than a revamped COLUMBO script, as a weary police officer tries to winkle a confession out of a canny adversary. But, it's more than that, even beyond watching these two old pros, Hackman and Freeman, display their acting skills. As Hearst recounts his alibis, which are portrayed to the viewer as flashbacks, the director inserts the Benezet character into those scenes, as if he were physically present, allowing him to ask more questions of Hearst as his alibi unfolds. This is an ingeniously clever effect that I've not seen in any film previous. And then there's the stunning beauty of Bellucci as she plays Hearst's Ice Queen. Wow! (Yeah, I know, mine is a guy fascination, just like in Monica's splendid Y2K film MALENA.)The ending is totally unexpected. ("Huh? Say, what!"). And, profoundly sad, if one considers the ties that continue to bind in a love relationship gone sour."

Film Making At Its Best

C. Chow | Leesburg VA | 08/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Why isn't `Under Suspicion' hailed as one of the greatest films ever made? Probably because most people like me never heard of it until we saw it. That's why I'm so shocked to see so many people here on Amazon only rating it as `OK'.

From beginning to end I couldn't look away. `Under Suspicion' is the type film that I classify as "PERFECT", the screenplay, the acting, and EVERY aspect of the production quality is as good as film making gets.

The production quality grabs you by the eyes and doesn't let go from beginning to end. This keeps you enthralled so no matter what is happening in the plot the movie keeps a steady fast pace.

The plot: As you've discerned from Amazon, this is a physiological murder mystery thriller in REAL TIME. The entire film takes place on New Year's Eve in Puerto Rico. Gene Hackman is a fat cat lawyer living and partying with other fat cat American lawyers in mansions in Puerto Rico. On his way to a New Year's party he is asked by police detective and friend, Morgan Freeman to, "Drop by the station and answer a few questions." But it becomes very obvious right away that Hackman is a murder suspect in a series of recent pedophile murders. Hackman is grilled mercilessly by Freeman and his partner young bad ass partner Thomas Jane. Hackman denies everything and fights back this his own psychoanalysis.

Having seen so many great performances by Hackman and Freeman I thought I'd seen it all. These actors couldn't offer anything new? Boy was I pleasantly proven wrong! Hackman and Freeman are really set free and unleash the best performances of their careers.

The story progresses all in real time in the same setting for two hours. Don't worry, you won't be bored. Freeman attempts to break down Hackman by putting his life on trial. He sees cheap prostitutes, and orders exotic porn online, and he met his trophy wife, Monica Bellucci, when she was only 11 years old!

Freeman also focuses his sights on Bellucci hoping to turn her against Hackman. The battle of wits there is just as intense as it is with Hackman.

Hackman's actual guilt is left up in the air until literally the last minute of the film and is very meaningful.

Don't be worried by all these naysayers on Amazon. If you enjoy great film making you'll love this movie.

"

Hackman, Freeman, Janes excellent in stagy 'Suspicion'

Matthew Horner | USA | 03/18/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"From the way its distributor, Lions Gate, yanked it out of theaters after just a handful of play dates, you'd think Under Suspicion was a disaster. Perhaps from a marketing standpoint, it was. To people who love movies, though, anything starring Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman is worth a look-see, and Under Suspicion, while marred by a few slow spots and a rather weak ending, is no disaster. I can assure you that sparks fly when Hackman and Freeman are on screen together.The setting is present day San Juan, Puerto Rico. Police Captain Victor Benezet [Freeman] is investigating the murders of two young girls. A big problem is that the finger of suspicion points at Henry Hearst [Hackman], who is not only one of the island's most respected citizens, but also an old friend of Benezet's. On the night of a big charity event at which Hearst is the guest of honor, Benezet calls him in for a short question and answer session before the event. The interview turns into a lengthy one in which Hearst's life unravels before his eyes. The plot line concerns two things. The first is whether or not Hearst is guilty. The other is an examination of how brutal an investigation into one's private life can be. With today's high tech police technique's, even the innocent can become the guilty because of other things the process can reveal.Even though this is not their finest movie, Freeman and Hackman are at their finest. They are the type of actors who do not give a bad performance, regardless of the strengths or weaknesses of the script. Each has always been smart enough to combine a good work ethic with his genius. Also noteworthy is Thomas Jane as Detective Owens, although he is handicapped by having to play a very stereotypical character, the type you are all too happy to see leave the scene. Monica Bellucci, who plays Hearst's much younger wife, is a major star in her native Italy. Her role requires little more of her than standing around looking exquisitely beautiful, which she does extremely well. I think Under Suspicion is most appealing to those who enjoy a good play. While director Stephen Hopkins does take some advantage of the glorious Puerto Rico scenery, much of the movie takes place in two rooms of the police station. This gives it a stagy feel, which some people do not at all enjoy."

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