Suspect
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Cast: Cher, Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson, John Mahoney
Extras: Commentary Track, Trailer, Talent Files
Rating:
When Cher decides to take on a film role, it typically results in a very strong performance and a very good movie. When in 1987 she decided to take the lead in Peter Yates’ crime-thriller ’Suspect, ’ once again she made sure to make the role her own and to create one of her strongest film performances to date.
’Suspect’ tells the story of Kathleen Riley (Cher) a public defender who is forced to represent a homeless Vietnam veteran (Liam Neeson) in a grisly murder-case that appears fairly clear-cut. But soon into it, Kathleen realizes that this case is far from simple and that it has implications throughout the government. Her client is not the nutcase everyone thought he is, but turns out to be a threat to very powerful people. With the help of lobbyist Eddie Sanger (Dennis Quaid), Kathleen is soon able to connect the dots and paint a clear picture… but too many people don’t want her see what she just discovered.
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is releasing ’Suspect’ in an anamorphic widescreen and a fullscreen presentation on this disc. The transfer is very clean and without notable blemishes. The film uses a very natural color palette and the DVD is able to reproduce it nicely with all its nuances and warm tones. Blacks are deep and shadows always maintain a good level of detail. Occasional edge-enhancement is evident in the transfer but it never gets too distracting, making for a pleasant presentation. The compression is also without flaws, maintaining a very good level of detail throughout the films.
The disc’s Dolby Surround audio tracks in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese also leave a good impression. They are dynamic and well presented. A good sound frequency response gives the film a natural quality that perfectly matches the style and feel of the film itself. Dialogue is well integrated and always remains highly intelligible. The disc also contains an informative commentary track by director Peter Yates that is full of valuable information and behind-the-scenes memories.
