Guilty by Suspicion

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Annette Bening, George Wendt, Patricia Wettig, Chris Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Tom Sizemore, Luke Edwards
Directed by: Irwin Winkler
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Box Office: $9,480,198
1991

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: During the anti-communism scare in the United States in the early 1950s, governmental agencies focused on Hollywood to uncover suspected communists. A well known director (Robert DeNiro) is approached and asked to testify about his friends and acquaintances who may or may not be members of the communist party. When he refuses to cooperate, he threatens to ruin his career.

Review:

Tim: Guilty by Suspicion is a very interesting movie about the Blacklist Era in Hollywood. The communist scare in the United States was a horrible time for many people, but it hit differently in Hollywood, and its worth understanding the pressures and events that occurred during this time period. I'm a huge fan of history anyway, so I liked the fact that this film sought to tell a small story about that history while making a pretty entertaining film as well.

This film is not without its many flaws, but it overcomes its own shortcomings with pure drama. The cast is decent at best. DeNiro gives a reserved but adequate performance as the director caught up in the whole mess. Annette Bening is almost completely wasted as his ex-wife. The rest of the cast makes little impact on the film. Guilty by Suspicion is definitely a DeNiro-based film.

Besides the occasional slow scene, which often occurs in dramas, the film is pretty intense. You will feel the paranoia yourself, and more than likely the frustration at what you see happening to the main characters on the screen. It is hard to believe many of the actions of the HUAC could actually happen in America. Understanding those actions and why they were wrong is important to ensure something like this never happens again.

The best part of the film is clearly the ending. It finishes up with a powerful and exciting scene. In the end, Guilty by Suspicion may be flawed, but it is a very interesting Hollywood movie. It gives you an entertaining look at a frightening historical event in this country.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Front, The Godfather, The Grifters, The Untouchables