Suspect

You know, I watched this film for the first time since I saw it in the theater years ago, and I must say that in today's cinematic atmosphere, this is a very underrated and enthralling film. I find today's movies to be so "dumbed down" to accommodate the full spectrum of moviegoers (the debt, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as SOME exceptions), and this thriller manages to combine a few genres (mystery, courtroom, thriller, drama, suspense) into one package.

Cher stars as a lawyer, badly in need of a vacation, who gets appointed a murder case in which a deaf and mute suspect (Played by the ever-ready Liam Neeson) seems to have perpetrated the crime. As she delves into the case, and into to case precedent, she begins to unravel a mystery that goes much higher than a homeless deaf mute.

A fresh faced Dennis Quaid is a juror who is intrigued by puzzle pieces that don't seem to fit and begins his own look at the case, culminating in a heart pounding climax that'll leave you panting and wishing there was another hour to go! Definitely worth a look - even with Cher, whom I had dismissed as a one hit movie wonder. She actually pulls this movie off.

And watch for Frasiers dad, John Mahoney, as a judge here - don't worry, you won't miss him.

Give it a look!!

Fine courtroom drama which appears to be about a small change murder involving a pair of street people. But is it? An attorney takes on the case and begins digging deep into the case when evidence turns up that suggests the culprit may have connections other than with simple street bums. Interesting and exciting, though improbable.

Anyone who thinks that the United States legal justice system is fair and balanced has been watching too many movies. The poor and the marginalized get convicted and the rich and elite drive away from the courthouse. It's largely a matter of the size of the pocketbook. And it's still amazing how many innocent people are locked away with almost no hope of getting out. "Suspect" is how about a how a homeless man (Liam Neesom) and his public defender (Cher) find themselves in a case that has much larger ramifications than a simple matter of did a homeless person murder the victim for $9.

The aspect that makes this movie a gem is the fine acting: Cher as the overworked and underpaid public defender, Liam Neeson as the deaf/mute defendant in one of his first major roles, Dennis Quaid as a sexy lobbyist (often messing around with congresswomen to get votes for his industry) turned juror turned amateur sleuth, and John Mahoney as the stoic judge at the trial. A lot of it is pure fantasy but the moments in the courtroom are actually very much like a real courtroom in its obsessiveness with procedure and protocol.

The story begins with the suicide of a prominent Supreme Court Justice and the subsequent murder of his assistant who has been slashed to death. When police investigate the surrounding area, they find a homeless man sporting a knife and in possession of the victim's wallet which contained a king's ransom: $9. Cher is appointed to take the case, and Quaid ends up becoming one of the jurors. Because of the suicide at the beginning of the film, Judge Helms (Mahoney) becomes one of the people on the US President's short list to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Helms requests to preside over the murder case to free up his later schedule in order that he be considered for the vacancy.

Several scenes take us into the bowels of the homeless of Washington DC. We see a lot of lawyers, a lot of law libraries and a lot of knives. Every homeless person appears to wield a knife. Cher with the unlawful help of Quaid (lawyers and jurors in the same trial are not supposed to commiserate, let alone team up) stumbles upon some evidence that makes the case much more complex. A thoroughly enjoyable courtroom drama with enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat, and an interesting commentary on the justice system and how it handles the poor and the homeless. Unfortunately, public defenders are probably not as successful as Cher appears to be.

I liked this movie. Yes, the plot has holes. Yes, the actions of the characters are a bit on the implausible side. But it still has me interested in seeing what is going to happen next, which is one measure of a movie I think is worth watching. The ending ties things up too neatly and quickly, but by that time, I am okay with it. I like the chemistry between Cher and Quaid. Seeing a young Liam Neeson is nice, too. I hadn't seen this in a long time, and it was on TV this afternoon - and I was reminded of how it is a nice couple hours of not having to think too hard. Nothing wrong with that!

When a deaf-mute homeless man is accused of murdering a federal worker in Washington DC, the public defender assigned to the case assumes he is guilty--until she begins to receive tips about the case from the most unlikely of sources: a member of the jury seated for the trial.

Any one even remotely conversant with the law will find the story so full of loopholes that it is more than a little ridiculous, but it scarcely matters: the cast carries it off in fine style, playing the script with exceptional precision and poise and generating plenty of suspense along the way. Cher is particularly noteworthy as the public defender assigned to the case.

Cher? Playing a Washington D.C. attorney? It's hardly typecasting, but once more Cher demonstrates the depth of her talent: not only is she extremely effective, she is completely believable. The same might be said for both Liam Neeson, who plays the deaf-mute on trial, and Dennis Quaid, who plays the smarmy juror who begins to put two and two together; SUSPECT is clearly Cher's picture, but her co-stars are every bit as good as she.

Although it has its share of courtroom pyrotechnics and suspenseful moments, SUSPECT is a surprisingly low-key and all the more successful for it. When all is said and done we like the characters as people, believe in them, and are glad we met them. While it will never compete with the likes of Hitchcock, SUSPECT is a good, solid, and very unpretentious courtroom thriller executed with a great deal of style. Those whose tastes run in that direction will be very pleased indeed. Recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer