(Cher puts on a suit, tries to makes us think she‘s an attorney, succeeds…)
CAST: Cher, Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson, John Mahoney, Phillip Bosco, Joe Mantegna.
DIRECTOR: Peter Yates
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and highly noble portrayal of a highly thankless profession straight ahead…
In our reviews for SUNSHINE CLEANING (review # 240 ), COPYCAT (review #256), and CHASING LIBERTY (review # 269), we discussed jobs that are portrayed as ultra-glamorous and fun on the silver screen, but are decidedly less so in real life. The professions essayed in those films were, respectively: (1) Crime-Scene Cleaners; (2) Criminal Psychologist; and (3) First Daughter. Okay, I know… that last one is technically more of a high-profile role that only feels like work. But you get the idea…
At any rate, the movies also traffic in jobs that are definitely not glamorous in real life, and aren’t portrayed as such on the silver screen. One of those is Public Defender. This job is essentially the diametrical opposite of Flashy Defense Attorney. Let’s just say you’re not likely to see a P.D. driving around in a Maserati and living in a mansion on Mulholland Drive. Also, P.D.s don’t have the luxury that Flashy Defense Attorneys have: being able to choose their clients. On top of that, Public Defenders usually have more cases than there are porn stars in Los Angeles. Underpaid, overworked, probably unappreciated for the most part - makes you almost wonder why anyone would do it.
Well, if the heroine of our next review is anyone to go by, Public Defenders do what they do to save the underdogs - folks who don’t have the means to hire the Flashy Defense Attorneys. She is D.C. Public Defender Kathleen Riley (Cher), and by her own admission, she is: (1) overworked; (2) hasn’t dated in, like, a millennium; (3) and does what she does because of chance to help the under-privileged. If this isn’t enough to make you sympathize with Kathleen, you are obviously a promiscuous Trust Fund Baby who needs to be slapped around. Bring your ass over here.
Anyway, Kathleen’s ideals are tested when she finds herself defending a homeless dude named Carl Wayne Anderson (Liam Neeson). See, Carl’s been accused of murdering a legislative aide named Elizabeth Rose Quinn (Katie O’Hare) - and stealing $9 from her wallet. Safe to say Carl ain’t exactly one of those big-time robbers, eh? Of course, this was back in 1987, when $9 could buy you more than just a Starbuck’s Iced Mocha. Too bad poor Elizabeth had to get her throat cut over it.
With circumstantial evidence practically overwhelming the case, Kathleen has got her work cut out for her. To make matters worse, our lovely Public Defender has to deal with the following headaches: (1) Carl is a deaf mute and can only communicate through writing; (2) the prosecuting attorney, Charlie Stella (Joe Mantegna), is an asshole; (3) the presiding judge, Justice Matthew Bishop Helms (John Mahoney), is an even bigger asshole; and (4) one of the jurors, Eddie Sanger (Dennis Quaid), insists on making like a Hardy Boy and digging to the case - then feeding clues to Kathleen secretly.
Now, folks, in our last review for JAGGED EDGE (review # 282), I alluded to the fact that I am dumber than a hamper full of dirty socks, but even I know that what Eddie and Kathleen are doing is called, um, Jury Tampering. And basically any kind of tampering is probably illegal. Which leads me to conclude that these two are cut from the same cloth that Glenn Close’s character was cut from in JAGGED EDGE: educated, driven, intelligent, but prone to unexpected I.Q. dumps that results in colossally bad decisions. Or, as we discussed in THE BEDROOM WINDOW (review # 254) which was filled with colossally bad decisions: “Oh. My. God! You Fucking Idiots!”
Why is Eddie helping Kathleen? What does he hope to get out of it? Did Carl really kill Elizabeth in an botched mugging? Or is he being framed? What is the real motive behind Elizabeth’s murder? What happens when Eddie’s, uh, probing uncovers connections to the powers-that-be in Washington D.C.? Will he and Kathleen be endangered? For that matter, what happens when Judge Helms realizes that Kathleen and Eddie have been working together? Will he have her disbarred and have Eddie thrown off the case? Why are all these people so pale and irritable?
Maybe they’d all be less cranky if they took the day off and went mountain biking with some serious hotties and worked on their tans. Not that I would know anything about that…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In our recent review for THE LINCOLN LAWYER (review # 281), I referenced a type of film that has nothing more going for it than a strong cast, solid story, and good old-fashioned storytelling. In other words, they do not rely on flashy special effects or over-the-top, larger-than-life plotlines. Instead, they just want to entertain you without insulting your intelligence. Many movies from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even the 90’s focused on these down-to-earth aspects.
SUSPECT from 1987 is one such film. In this day and age, this movie would probably end up being made as a TV movie - if at all, owing to the fact that there’s nothing flashy about it. It’s just a very good mystery that keeps you leaning forward as each twist, turn, and clue is unveiled by a talented director and his equally-skilled cast.
Director Peter Yates brings a very Hitchcockian feel to the proceedings, starting from the sinister opening credits that echo many of the Master’s own touches, to the final confrontation and revelation of “whodunit.” Even the investigative sequences hum with quiet suspense, as Kathleen and Eddie realize that Elizabeth’s murder is just the tip of a very sinister iceberg, and Carl is likely the fall guy for a very powerful murderer. Especially unnerving is the scene where Kathleen is chased by the real killer through the courthouse after-hours, leading to a jumpy game of cat-and-mouse.
Cher is quietly terrific as Kathleen Riley. She successfully sheds her “glamour-puss” image, and turns Kathleen into a very likable “everywoman” heroine that we easily root for - someone who still believes in the system despite everything, and still manages to hold on to her ideals, and refuses to go the easy, lazy route of cynicism. After MOONSTRUCK, this is easily Cher’s best role.
Dennis Quaid may not be as strong as Cher, and you can easily see at least three other actors playing his role, but he still manages to engage us. The problem with Eddie Sanger is we’re never really sure why he risks charges of Jury Tampering to try to help Kathleen. Is he just naturally reckless? Naïve? Is he attracted to Kathleen? Does he sympathize with underdogs? Quaid never really allows us to fathom the character completely. Not sure if this is even his fault or the script’s (probably the latter). In any case, he’s good enough to keep us interested in Eddie’s actions, however inscrutable, and doesn’t hamper the film too much. Still, SUSPECT would’ve rated **** (very good) if Eddie would’ve been as fleshed-out as Kathleen.
Another reason SUSPECT doesn’t rate higher than ***½ (good) is because a potentially-intriguing plot thread is never explored satisfactorily. What should’ve been the emotional core of the film is Kathleen’s relationship with the downtrodden homeless vet, Carl Wayne Anderson. Despite not uttering a single word, Liam Neeson turns the character into an endlessly expressive and soulful figure. Carl’s sordid history is imprinted in his sad eyes, and Neeson’s scenes with Cher threaten to turn SUSPECT into something more than a good thriller. Unfortunately, time and again, the script drops this thread and keeps returning to Kathleen’s tricky relationship with Dennis. Had SUSPECT turned the Kathleen-Carl relationship into the center of the film, and either minimized or nixed the Kathleen-Eddie one, this film would’ve been a classic.
In the end, the core story of SUSPECT - Public Defender realizes her homeless client is the patsy for a high-powered political conspiracy - is dynamic enough to surmount a slight issue in how the leading man’s role is conceived. It further helps that Cher is stunning - literally and figuratively - as our beleaguered heroine, and that a superb roster of character actors (John Mahoney, Joe Mantegna, Phillip Bosco, E. Katherine Kerr) lend more-than-able support to our leads.
Despite SUSPECT’s flaws, Hitchcock still would’ve been proud.
