Under Suspicion (2000) - 6 stars out of 10

Under Suspicion (2000) - 6 stars out of 10

"Under Suspicion" is a much darker film than I anticipated.  I knew that it was going to be an interrogation but was not ready for two hours of a man having his darkest secrets revealed.  I wasn't crazy about the content of the story but the acting is top notch.  Gene Hackman methodically puts a different emotion into each phase of the interrogation as he slowly transforms from an arrogant lawyer into a pitiful, guilty man.  The progressive crescendo of character defamation made me connect to his character because I felt so terrible for him that I wanted him to be innocent - well played, writers.  You really can't go wrong with Morgan Freeman, particularly with the intense dialogue that was written for him in this film.  It would be a daunting task for anyone to work with these two and not be completely overshadowed, but Monica Bellucci absolutely holds her own.  She is much more than a pretty face as her character becomes the most important one in the film, legitimizing each revealed secret of Hackman.  However, these performances are counterbalanced by the terrible acting of Thomas Jane.  His character was annoying, overacted, and a stain that tainted much of Freeman's dialogue.  I would be completely content if this actor's career ended today so that I never have to see him in another movie.  But I digress - the most interesting aspect of this story is that, as the dark secrets are brought to light in the interrogation room, the underlying cause of marital stress is revealed to the viewers.  It is cool (but sad) to see how one misunderstanding destroyed the trust between two people and led to this set of circumstances.  It certainly isn't the best movie that I've seen with Hackman and Freeman, but they make it worth experiencing such dark and depressing content.