|
|
The Movie:
"Under Suspicion" fascinated me. Although I never actually got to see the movie, I had heard and read about it before it was supposed to be released this past Fall. The fact that it starred both Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, two of the best current actors in the business, made it almost a must-see. Almost. The problem is, the film actually hardly got a release. According to the Internet Movie Database, it never went wider than 19 screens. Is it - or was it - that bad? Although not as strong as it could have been considering the talent involved, it's still a moderately entertaining and tense mystery-thriller. It certainly marks a far departure for director Stephen Hopkins, who previously directed the big-budget "Lost In Space" remake.
To the plot at hand; it involves a powerful lawyer named Henry(Hackman) who gets called into the local police station in Puerto Rico by an old friend, a police chief named Victor(Morgan Freeman). Two murders have occured on the island, and Henry seems like he could have been involved. Victor's second-in-command (Thomas Jane) is also there, barking at Hackman when Freeman remains calm, cool and collected.
Facts come out and spin around, flashbacks are offered. I was almost thankful when Jane's character leaves; although he's a good actor, his character comes across as too much of the cliched agressive young detective. It's almost entertaining when Hackman's character bites back towards his attacks, but it doesn't really advance the story that often. We want to see more of the face-off between Hackman and Freeman, and although some parts during the middle are slow, at it's best, these two great actors really provide a spark as we want to know more about what Hackman's character really knows.
In the hands of lesser actors, this could have been not nearly as good. With Hackman and Freeman, I found this to be a very tense movie and the standoff between these two was very engaging, with great performances from each. Some moments stumble, especially a few towards the end. I don't want to give anything away though, as the majority of the film is successful enough to for it to overcome its flaws.
The DVD
VIDEO: Tristar presents "Under Suspicion" in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer that, although not their best effort, does often show Peter Levy's striking cinematography which captures the great scenery well. Sharpness is generally good - and sometimes excellent - but there are a few interior scenes where the image seemed a little bit on the soft side. Detail is generally very good, and clarity as well as depth are fine.
Flaws are minor, but begin to accumulate after a while. Print flaws include some slight marks, but there were a few more than acceptable for a movie that was only released - and released in a handful of theaters - only a couple of months previously. Slight shimmering also appears a couple of times, and some scenes seem a tiny bit grainy.
Colors are strong, through. The office doesn't offer too much beyond dark colors like browns, but some of the outdoor scenes offer a wider range of colors, and they look electric on this presentation, with no flaws. Although this isn't quite as good as the usual excellence that comes from Columbia/Tristar, it still is certainly above-average and at times, excellent. A full-frame version is also included, accessable from the main menu.
SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio has both good and not-as-good points about it. The good point is that the surrounds are used very actively, especially during the flashback sequences. The rich score by artist BT, who also did the great score for "Go", sounds deep and clear here, with good bass. Dialogue seems a little bit soft at times in comparison to what else was going on; I didn't feel it to be a consistent problem, but I noticed it once or twice. Still, I'm glad that the sound designers took creative steps to make the audio more active than the material might otherwise have called for.
MENUS:: The menus are not animated, but stylish and put film-themed images to good use.
EXTRAS:
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Stephen Hopkins and Morgan Freeman. I had really liked Freeman's comments on the recent special edition of "Seven", so I was looking forward to another discussion from him on his thoughts about acting and the film in general. It proves to be a pretty good commentary; Hopkins contributes a lot of interesting information about the production and working with the actors, and Freeman talks about his experiences. Some periods of the track are a little bit slow with minimal comments or silence, but when the two did speak I thought their comments were insightful about the story (without just turning it into a read along where they tell us what's going on at this moment) and interesting to listen to.
Also: 11 minute featurette offering interviews and some minor behind-the-scenes footage, talent files and theatrical trailer.
Final Thoughts: "Under Suspicion" offers two great lead performances, and that alone makes this certainly worth a look as, at least, a rental. Audio/video quality could be a little smoother, but overall, it's a good disc that's worth looking at.
Film Grade
The Film B+
DVD Grades
Video 88/B = (352/400 possible points)
Audio: 89/B+ = (356/400 possible points)
Extras: 82/B = (246/300 possible points)
Menus: 75/C = (150/200 possible points)
Value: 83/B = (249/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1353/1600
DVD GRADE:B/84%
FILM GRADE: B+
DVD GRADE: B
|