UNDER SUSPICION

UNDER SUSPICION is a relentless examination of a tragic marriage under the spotlight of an intense police investigation about a couple of murdered young girls. Though the performances are strong and detailed, there’s not enough here, ultimately, to really hold one’s interest. The ending is weak and unbelievable, even though it seems to be almost the whole reason behind making this movie.

In the story, set in Puerto Rico, Gene Hackman plays wealthy tax attorney Henry Hearst. Police Captain Victor Benezet, played by Morgan Freeman, pulls Henry away from an important fund-raising speech. Victor has a few questions for Henry about Henry’s recent discovery of the body of a murdered young girl. As the interrogation proceeds, Henry begins to look more and more guilty of the crimes. Also, Henry’s estranged marriage with his beautiful young wife, Chantal (Monica Belluci), comes under the intense scrutiny of the relentless police captain.

The acting by Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman is strong in UNDER SUSPICION, but there’s a twist at the end of the movie which is unbelievably weak. Also, the motive for the crimes appears to be pedophilia, which leads to all sorts of sordid revelations about the dysfunctional sex life and marriage of Hackman’s character. There’s really no reason, therefore, to sit through the movie other than to admire the acting abilities of the two male leads, old pros though they may be.