Suspicious River

As a woman, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the fact that someone would invest human intelligence, labor, and money to produce such darkness and ugliness in the disguise of indie cinema. We all know that the world is ugly and cruel and we do not need to be constantly reminded of that. Why not create something uplifting and beautiful? Why not give us a chance to breath? Why some indie films have to be so meaninglessly vile in order to be artsy? I simply cannot believe that this film was both written and directed by women. How sickening! How disturbing! And what message were they trying to send to the world by depicting women in such offensive fashion?

This is a rather distasteful indie film from Canadian director Lynn Stopkewich. Set in Washington state, where apparently it rains all the time, it features Molly Parker as a hooker motel clerk who is trying to raise money to escape her dreary life. One of her clients, Callum Keith Rennie, appears to be her ticket out of dullsville, but turns out to be her worst nightmare. To describe these people as dysfunctional does dysfunctional people a disservice. The movie is populated by characters would make even Jerry Springer blush - drunks, cheaters and physically abusive men. The only missing deviant behavior here is incest and necrophilia, and that's only because Miss Parker has already covered the latter in 1996's Kissed for the same director. Parker and Rennie are remarkable actors, and Stopkewich is a capable director who isn't afraid to push the envelope and take chances with her craft. I only wish they would have given us something to aspire to instead of dredging up the seedy lives of these miserable characters.

An AWFUL film. What kind of abuse must the writer, director, and actors have suffered in their childhoods to want to tell, or be a part of this story? The performances are LAUGHABLE. Molly Parker is like a walking zombie incapable of expression. The lead male is soooooo faux. Pul-lease!! Enough already. If this director gets a chance to make more movies, then something is terribly wrong with the current film investment mentality. It's not an important story, nor well told. I felt like asking for my money back at the video store. That's a first. Actually, no. American Boyfriends by Canadian director Sandy Wilson was the first. Who would I recommend this film to? Psychos, serial rapists, or repeat sexual offenders. Save your money and pick another, ANY other, film on the shelf. It's evil! Don't watch it. And DON'T let your kids or loved ones watch it. I give it ZERO out of ten...since there is no rated negative value

some people might call this movie weak, i don't think so.. if you think it's weak your only seeing the surface of it, this movie has much going on but it's all deep down, this movie is "REAL" compared to some of the stuff that has come out of hollywood lately, it doesn't seem like it had a large budget either, it does not follow the normal cookie cutter image if a "blockbuster" or anything else.. parker had a very hard roll to play in this movie i thought she pulled it off quite well if you like independant films and something different this is a very good well done movie!

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.