Suspicious River (2000)

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

Director:

Lynne Stopkewich

Writers:

Laura Kasischke (novel), Lynne Stopkewich

Stars:

Molly Parker, Callum Keith Rennie, Katie Keating

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A young, married motel receptionist in a small town sells her body to motel guests, but not just for money. This dangerous other life leads her to a male version of herself, who takes her to the extreme edge, the same place her mother had been before but did not survive.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | cheating wife | adulterous wife | title directed by female | motel | 

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Taglines:

Deeper than you ever feared.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Gyanús folyó

Filming Locations:

North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Okulitch-Pederson Company,Suspicious Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Callum Keith Rennie bought a learning kit which he wore throughout filming, so he could change his accent to be more American Western.

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Soundtracks

Brunch Song
Written and Performed by Vincent Jones

User Reviews

"Dense, unsettling and somewhat lyrical..."

Canadian screenwriter, production designer, film producer and director Lynne Stopkewich's second feature film which she wrote, is based on a novel from 1996 by American author and poet Laura Kasischke. It premiered in the Cinema of the Present section at the 57th Venice International Film Festival in 2000, was screened in Perspective Canada section at the 25th Toronto International Film Festival in 2000 and is a Canadian production which was shot on location in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada and produced by producers Michael Okulitch and Raymond Massey. It tells the story about Leila Murray, an unfulfilled woman who yearns to escape from her sordid life in a small town where she lives in a platonic marriage with her husband Rick. Leila works as a receptionist in a more or less uninhabited motel which is mostly visited by men who know that they will get a whole lot more than a peaceful night's sleep if they pay a little extra for the room, and one autumn day a mysterious stranger named Gary Jensen walks in.

Distinctly and precisely directed by Canadian filmmaker Lynne Stopkewich, this quietly paced and foreboding fictional tale which is narrated by and from the protagonist's point of view, draws a dark and internal portrayal of a married clerk's illicit relationship with a persuasive and dangerous man who makes her believe in the possibility of getting away from her mundane existence and passionless marriage. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric rural milieu depictions, fine production design by art director and production designer Don Macaulay, cinematography by Canadian cinematographer Gregory Middleton, editing by Scottish film editor Allan Lee and use of colors, this character-driven psychological drama depicts an in-depth study of character and contains a good score by composer Don Macdonald.

This poignantly atmospheric, somewhat surreal and suspenseful indie from the early 2000s about lost innocence and immoral romance which is set against the backdrop of a remote and seemingly lawless place nearby an alluring river, is impelled and reinforced by it's subtle character development, esoteric and cold-hearted characters, fragmented narrative structure and the efficiently understated acting performances by Canadian actress Molly Parker, English-Canadian actor Callum Keith Rennie and Canadian actress Katie Keating in her debut feature film role. A dense, unsettling and somewhat lyrical mystery.