SUSPECT

US, 1987, 116 minutes, Colour.
Cher, Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson, John Mahoney, Philip Bosco, Joe Mantegna.
Directed by Peter Yates.

Suspect is an interesting murder mystery, courtroom drama. It has Washington settings, including Capitol Hill and the American courts. It was directed by Peter Yates, director of a range of interesting films from Bullitt to The Friends of Eddie Coyle to The Dresser.

The central star is Cher, who gives a serious performance quite creditably as a government legal aide and lawyer. Dennis Quaid, very popular in the mid'80s, is a Washington lobbyist who is on jury duty and who decides to help the lawyer in the case. Liam Neeson (Lamb, The Mission) is the accused. There is very good support from John Mahoney as the presiding judge.

The film is not only interesting as a murder mystery but as a study of characters and interactions. It also has comment about political and judicial corruption.

1. Interesting and entertaining mystery, courtroom drama, drama of social comment?

2. The title, its references, sustaining interest? The style of the opening credits and the echoes of past Warner Bros. dramas? Pace, editing? Musical score and mood?

3. The use of Washington locations, the Potomac, winter? Capitol Hill, courts, homes, slums?

4. The quality of the mystery, the clues given? The fairness of the script? Holes and coincidences? The blend of contrivance and realism?

5. The opening with the judge, Elizabeth Quinn, Christmas and winter, his position, his suicide? Elizabeth's death, the winter scene at the river, the hand, the arrest? Carl and his brutish behaviour? His hearing impediment? Kathleen appointed to be his lawyer?

6. Cher as Kathleen: screen presence, as a woman in herself, ambitions? Her discussions with Mort, friendship with him, the public defenders? lack of salary? Home, alone? Skills? Her being on the edge? Her introduction to Carl: brutish, his physical attack on her, getting nowhere, the realisation of his deafness, making progress? Getting the doctor because of his treatment by police? Her belief in him?

7. The court sequences: the skill of the lawyers, the presiding judge and his position, hostility towards Kathleen? Charlie Stella and his ability as a prosecutor? The testing of the jurors and their prejudices? The interrogation of Eddie? The situation, evidence, Kathleen wanting stays of hearing, needing Michael as a witness?

8. Eddie and his work on Capitol Hill, his boss, political parties, lobbying, the farm vote and interests? Senators? Grace and his lobbying her, her assertions about integrity, the sexual liaison, his winning the vote? Prostituting himself? Contacts, Paul Gray and the Attorney's Department? His being called up as a juror? Being interrogated? Caught as a juror? His interest in the case? His observation about the left-handedness of Carl? Phone call and information to Kathleen?

9. Friendship and conflict between Eddie and Kathleen? The law, breaking the law, contacts, concealing the contacts, her demonstration about the left-handedness? Eddie and his phone call? Michael and his finding him dead in the slums? Buying back the links from the vagrant lady, having to give up his shoes and socks? Asking Paul Gray information? The warning? The key and Kathleen going through the files? Working in the library - observed by the judge? Inquiries about the car registration and parking? The attendant and his wrong numbers?

10. Kathleen and her work, relationship with the judge, interviews, frustration, the appeal, studying, the contacts with Eddie, the personal relationship?

11. The judge, the question of his promotion, not wanting to sit on the trial? His treatment of objections, calling the lawyers into Chambers? His severity with Kathleen, the rules? Observing them in the library? The home party? Friendship with Paul Gray? The irony of the information gained, the revelation of the truth, his being called to the dock, his arm bleeding?

12. Charlie Stella and the prosecution, the interplay with the defender, with the jury?

13. Paul Gray and the Attorney-General's Department. the files, the 1968 cases, audience suspicion. his arrival in court? The screenplay's suggestion that he was the villain? The contrast with the judge? The revelation of the tape recording, Elizabeth Quinn's blackmail, Judge Helm's decision, humiliation at being passed over?

14. Carl: looking wild, the slums and the types, the investigator looking for Michael and his being slashed, Michael as a vagrant? The Vietnam background, Carl's story, hospital, violence, separation from his wife? Going deaf? The car park. the car, robbing the corpse? The police treatment of him, his being deaf. his gradually being spruced up for the case? The use of the computer? The interrogation, his innocence, a victim?

15. Themes of the judiciary. the courts, politics, lobbying, corruption? In the context of the murder mystery?