Despite yet another tremendous performance from Charles Laughton, and Robert Siodmak's steady hand and eye for photography, there are several elements of 'The Suspect' that are hard to swallow.
Laughton plays a wealthy old gentleman with a shrew of a wife, and he's ready to move on. He meets a lovely young lady played by Ella Raines and is spurred into action, leading to a twisted and tragic series of events.
The acting is fine, and there are some brilliantly dark and suspenseful moments. My problem is, I found the wife character to be far too terrible to be believed. Even husbands and wives who grow to despise each other can be terrible, but have good sides.
And as much as Laughton can make you feel for the character and pull off a certain charm, it's still hard to buy the relationship between he and Ella Raines. She needed to be either a money-grubber or totally naive and easily manipulated to pull it off.
Regardless, it's a competent film, with some good photography. There are some entertaining moments. It's notable, but not a major film.
Laughton plays a wealthy old gentleman with a shrew of a wife, and he's ready to move on. He meets a lovely young lady played by Ella Raines and is spurred into action, leading to a twisted and tragic series of events.
The acting is fine, and there are some brilliantly dark and suspenseful moments. My problem is, I found the wife character to be far too terrible to be believed. Even husbands and wives who grow to despise each other can be terrible, but have good sides.
And as much as Laughton can make you feel for the character and pull off a certain charm, it's still hard to buy the relationship between he and Ella Raines. She needed to be either a money-grubber or totally naive and easily manipulated to pull it off.
Regardless, it's a competent film, with some good photography. There are some entertaining moments. It's notable, but not a major film.