Above Suspicion

This is a pretty interesting crime movie that has been overshadowed by the irony of it: Christopher Reeve playing a man in a wheelchair, and he himself being paralyzed not long after this movie.

This story concerns a cop who gets paralyzed and then gets revenge on his wife and brother, both of whom were having an affair behind his back which he knew about. Joe Mantegna's role, I thought, was the best, as the pursuing cop on the case, although Reeve is very good, too. Kim Cattrall's garbage-mouth helps make her a convincing villain as the cheating wife.

There is one major credibility problem, however, with this film that might have you shaking your head. You'll have to check to movie to know what I mean, because I don't want to spoil it here. The film is a worth a look, however - definitely recommended. It will have you involved.

"Above Suspicion" has a very clever plot, above average acting, and maintains interest throughout. This plays like a good episode of "Columbo". Joe Mantegna gives a Columbo-like performance as the relentless detective who thinks the obvious in a murderer investigation is not how it happened. Unfortunately, in this case, his adversary, Christopher Reeve always seems to be one step ahead of Mantegna. I can't say I was totally satisfied with the ending, but under the circumstances, I can see where it came from. The film has plenty of nudity, violence, and edge of your seat twists and turns. Recommended. - MERK

***SPOILERS*** Being highly successful in everything that he did, from the top of his class in collage a top Jet pilot and law enforcement officer, Dempsey Cain, Christopher Reeve,is the exact opposite of his younger brother Nick, Edward Kerr. Nick also a member of the San Sebastian police department like Dempsey is a total failure when compared to his older brother.

One evening at a police shooting, the cop ended up dead, Dempsey calls Nick on his personal beeper and gets no answer. It turned that Nick was at Dempsey's house having an sexual tryst with his cheating and unfaithful wife Gail, Kim Cattrail. The next day the police. led by Det. Cain, track down the cop killers in a hotel room and just when their about to make the pinch Nick's beeper goes off, alerting the fugitives. The resulting shootout ends with Dempsey getting shot in the spine and ending up crippled from the waist down.

At the inquest following the shooting Dempsey covered up the fact that his brother's incompetence, leaving his beeper on, was responsible for the shootout. Taking the blame himself for it saying that the noisy beeper was his not Nick's Dempsey forgave his brother for his career ending injuries but not for his sleeping with his wife. Dempsey then concocted a devious and sinister plan to make them both pay for what they did to him with their lives.

Checking Nick's phone bill Dempsey found out that he called his answering service from his, Dempsey's, home at 2:30 AM. Dempsey realized that Nick was having an affair with his wife at the time that the young cop was shot and killed and that illicit affair had been going on for some time.

Putting on an act that he was despondent with his life as a paraplegic Dempsey get's both Nick and Gail to go along with a plan where he's killed, by them, in a burglary and having insured himself for $1,000,000.00 with a double indemnity clause, excluding suicide. The two would both get double the amount and that would also take care of his and Gail's son Damnon, Blake Foster,college and financial future. Getting everything ready for the big night, Friday July 15, 1994,when Dempsey is supposed to be killed Nick & Gail get the surprise of their life. They realize, only too late, that's it's them not Dempsey who's to end up on a cold slab at the local morgue with the insurance policy as the air-tight evidence that they had a financial motive to kill him.

The second half of the movie "Above Suspicion" has to do with Dempsey's fellow police detective Alan Rhinehart, Joe Mantegna,who realized that Dempsey was guilty,trying to convince his superior Capt Lindsey, Ron Canada, and the internal affairs department to have him arrested and tried for his bother and wife's deaths.

The movie ends on a very disturbing note with Det. Rhinehart finally getting Dempsey to stand trial for his brothers and wife's murder but the results shocked even him in how brilliant and, for the loss of a better word, evil Dempsey's plan was. No matter what Rhienhart could come up with he found out, the hard way, that he was totally helpless to have a jury convict Dempsey.

Dempsey Cain (Christopher Reeve) is a perfectionist and accurate detective, married with Gail (Kim Cattrall), having a son and living in a comfortable house. His brother Nick (Edward Kerr) is a reckless policeman and is having an affair with Gail. Dempsey's colleague Rhinehart (Joe Mantegna) disputes with him who is the best detective in their district. One day, in a bust in a hotel, trying to arrest five Mexicans who killed two policemen, Dempsey is shot and become paralyzed below his waist. Dempsey becomes very depressed and tries unsuccessfully to suicide. Then, he proposes his brother and his wife to kill him, simulating a robbery in his house, in order to get his life insurance paid and for them to raise his son. What happens next makes this movie an excellent film noir. I would never expect such a good unknown film. The story and the screenplay are great, having many plot points, and the performance of the cast is perfect. The irony is that Christopher Reeves became paralyzed after this movie in an accident. Recommended for those who likes amoral movies. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Sem Suspeita" ("Without Suspicion")

Christopher Reeve ironically plays a homicide detective who's paralyzed from the waist down after a bust goes bad. His family life isn't all that great either; his wife is cheating on him with his own brother. One day Reeve asks the two of them to help him end his life...that's when things get interesting.

This is an exceptionally well made TV thriller. Boasting excellent performances from Cattrall, Mantegna and especially Reeve, in his last role before his horrible accident. The film is well written, with a mystery that's genuinely intriguing all the way, full of surprises and suspenseful to boot. Also has a very satisfying conclusion, not all TV movies follow the same formula.

I'll miss Christopher Reeve. Here, as in other movies, he shows just what a quality actor he truly was when given good roles.