

Video: Above Suspicion was produced in 1995 for HBO.
#Above suspicion 1995 film movie
It's the sort of movie I'd probably sit down on spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with on cable, though I wouldn't go out of my way to see it and probably wouldn't bother ponying up a couple of bucks for a rental. Above Suspicion is enjoyable but instantly forgettable. I remained curious throughout as to what the resolution would turn out to be, but I never found myself particularly entranced or engaged by the movie. Above Suspicion isn't the sort of movie that keeps viewers on the edge of their collective seat, and thougb I'd imagine that's by design, it doesn't make for the most compelling movie. The ending is not what I would've expected either.įor a movie that would almost undoubtedly be classified on video store shelves as a suspense/thriller, there is a noticeable lack of thrills and suspense. Above Suspicion doesn't telegraph its requisite twists and turns in advance, and what surprises are to be had are more believable than the absurdly preposterous twists that are prevalent in similar film. Macy, is smarter than most entries in the genre. The screenplay, which was co-written by well-known character actor William H. Joe Mantegna was the highlight of the movie for me, putting in a typically solid performance as an unrelenting street-wise cop.

Kim Cattrall also isn't shy about baring it all in Above Suspicion, slipping out of her top whenver the opportunity presents itself. Part of that can be attributed to Kim Cattrall and Edward Kerr, whose wholly unlikeable characters drive him to the edge. The cast is uniformly great, particularly Christopher Reeve, who manages to make Dempsey's transition from wholesome to loathesome without losing the favor of the audience. The camerawork is sharp, particularly in the movie's eye-catching final shot.
#Above suspicion 1995 film tv
Unfortunately, that coincidence is perhaps the most notable aspect of this otherwise unremarkable TV movie.Ībove Suspicion is technically competent in every respect.

Still, with as masterfully as Dempsey has manipulation those around him, Rhinehart has his work more than cut out for him.Ībove Suspicion debuted on HBO in May 1995, and it's an eerie coincidence to see Christopher Reeve star as a paraplegic cop less than a week before a horse riding accident would leave him paralyzed. Against the wishes of seemingly everyone around him, Rhinehart launches an investigation of his own, convinced there's more at play than a casual glance would suggest. He's so well-respected that no one suspects that anything nefarious could possibly be bubbling beneath the surface. The tables are turned, and Dempsey appears to have committed the perfect murder. Needless to say for a movie like this, things don't quite go according to the established plan. Dempsey enlists his brother and wife's assistance in engineering this elaborate scheme, assigning them the weighty task of pulling the trigger and delivering the fatal shots. Any attempt at suicide would deprive his family of financial stability, but if he were murdered in, say, a robbery gone wrong, that'd be a $2 million insurance payday. Four of the suspects are quickly subdued, but Nick's inability to sufficiently search for the elusive fifth leaves his brother with a bullet in the base of his spine.ĭempsey, now bound to a wheelchair, finds life unbearable as "half a man" and falls into a deep, alcohol-fueled depression. As they prepare to burst into the suspects' seedy apartment, Nick's beeper goes off, alerting the criminals to their presence and sending them scattering. Dempsey's unconventional methods had directly led to the identification of the murderers, much to the chagrin of bitter street cop Rhinehart (Joe Mantegna). Nick's perpetual screwing-up botches an investigation into the murder of a police officer by some Mexican drug-runners. This is in sharp contrast to his brother Nick (Edward Kerr), who squandered his inheritance, has failed to make any headway as a cop, and seizes every possible opportunity to screw his sister-in-law Gail (Kim Cattrall). In the space of ten years, Dempsey quickly rose through the ranks in law enforcement, currently enjoying a prestigious position as a homicide detective.

Not to be confused with the 2000 Scott Bakula flick of the same name, Above Suspcicion stars Christopher Reeve as Dempsey Cain, a former Navy test pilot whose tenacity and eye for detail have netted him a palatial home, an attractive wife, and a career at which he excels.
