Suspicious River (2000)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Lynne Stopkewich

Writers:

Laura Kasischke (novel)
Lynne Stopkewich (written by)

Release Date:

8 August 2001 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Deeper than you ever feared.

Plot:

A young married woman (Parker) sells her body, not just for money, to guests at the motel where she works as a receptionist.

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Receptionist | River | Breasts | Girl

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Molly Parker	...	Leila Murray
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Gary Jensen
Katie Keating	...	Young Girl (as Mary Kate Welsh)
Joel Bissonnette	...	Rick Schmidt
Deanna Milligan	...	Millie
Sarah-Jane Redmond	...	Bonnie (as Sarah Jane Redmond)
Norman Armour	...	Jack
Byron Lucas	...	Uncle Andy
Michael Shanks	...	Ball Cap Man
Paul Jarrett	...	Rob
Don S. Davis	...	Golf Shirt Man
Jay Brazeau	...	Suitcase Man
Bruno Verdoni	...	Ralph
Ingrid Tesch	...	Gary's Wife
John R. Taylor	...	Old Man

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including sexual violence, and language.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:MA | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Okulitch-Pederson Company

Soundtrack:

Mexico Texaco

Edgy, Deep Film

I read quite a few reviews here before I opted to buy Suspicious River. I had heard quite a bit about it while it was filming, but then was a bit put off on actually buying it. I finally did and am glad I did.

I've become a fan of Canadian film the last few years and find that many of them could be considered 'disturbing' by some. I didn't find Suspicious River all that disturbing, but an interesting view of a young woman fighting her demons. Certainly this film was no more disturbing than, say, Crash or The Sweet Hereafter.

I thought the film was extremely well done. Both Parker and Rennie did justice to their roles. I never considered Parker's lack of emotion to be a flaw, but an integral part of her character.

Probably a bit too edgy for mainstream audiences, with its long silences and scenery shots, but for me, it all enhanced the mood of the film.

I've found I really enjoy the smaller scale, more character driven films by Canadian filmmakers. It's also fun, since the pool of Canadian actors is much smaller than in the US and therefore, you get to see actors playing a multitude, very different parts.

I enjoyed the film very much.