Under Suspicion (2000)

Director:

Stephen Hopkins

Writers (WGA):

John Wainwright (book)
Claude Miller (1981 screenplay Garde à vue) ...

Release Date:

2 June 2000 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Everyone has secrets. Some of them are crimes.

Plot:

A lawyer is asked to come to the police station to clear up a few loose ends in his witness report of a foul murder...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Toupee | Speech | Interrogation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Henry Hearst
Morgan Freeman	...	Captain Victor Benezet
Thomas Jane	...	Detective Felix Owens
Monica Bellucci	...	Chantal Hearst
Nydia Caro	...	Isabella
Miguel Ángel Suárez	...	Superintendent
Pablo Cunqueiro	...	Detective Castillo
Isabel Algaze	...	Camille Rodriguez
Jacqueline Duprey	...	Maria Rodriguez
Luis Caballero	...	Paco Rodriguez
Patricia Beato	...	Darlita
Sahyly Yamile	...	Reina
Hector Travieso	...	Peter
Marisol Calero	...	Sergeant Arias
Vanessa Shenk	...	Sue Ellen Huddy

Also Known As:

Suspicion (France)
Third Degree (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

110 min | USA:111 min (TV)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Iceland:12 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37059)

Filming Locations:

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Company:

Revelations Entertainment

Trivia:

Stephen Hopkins wanted to cast Monica Bellucci after watching Malèna (2000) while on an overseas flight.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the beginning of the movie at 2:51, the cameraman can be seen in the reflection of the glass on the picture frame to the left of the screen.

Quotes:

nm0000151 Capt. Victor Benezet: Go home. Put on a funny hat. Do whatever it is morons do.

Movie Connections:

Version of Garde à vue (1981)

Soundtrack:

Noche Plena

Is he innocent or guilty

This is an intense drama that takes place between Gene Hackman as the suspect, Henry Hearst, and Morgan Freeman as Capt. Victor B., mostly in the form of an interrogation at a police station in Puerto Rico.

However, it has some interesting scenes that take place outside the police station, while the interrogation is on going - showing us what might have happened.

Both Hackman and Freeman do excellent work in this film, as expected of these two pros. Thomas Jane, a good actor, has little to work with in this particular drama, which showcases Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman as the leads.

Monica Bellucci plays Chantal, the beautiful young wife of Henry Hearst, however, in my opinion, her acting was only average except for one scene where she is crying. Mostly she is just delicious eye candy.

As the interrogation continues, Henry's story keeps changing as Victor hammers away at him about the rape and murder of two young girls, until secret after secret is uncovered and fully revealed much to Henry's humiliation.

Just prior to the ending, Henry goes completely out of character, in my opinion, and when we reach the conclusion to the case, it is somewhat disappointing.

Other than the somewhat weak ending, however, the film is quite riveting and held my interest entirely, although perhaps it is just a bit overly long for a interrogation format, and does lead at times to some repetition, it is nonetheless a highly entertaining film.

8 stars out of 10