Suspicious River

As a woman, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the fact that someone would invest human intelligence, labor, and money to produce such darkness and ugliness in the disguise of indie cinema. We all know that the world is ugly and cruel and we do not need to be constantly reminded of that. Why not create something uplifting and beautiful? Why not give us a chance to breath? Why some indie films have to be so meaninglessly vile in order to be artsy? I simply cannot believe that this film was both written and directed by women. How sickening! How disturbing! And what message were they trying to send to the world by depicting women in such offensive fashion?

A deeply disturbing film, with some coarsely difficult scenes to view. Dark from the outset, with nary a glimmer of hope evident in its passing, this film is wanting to capture much more than it does. Overt symbolism weakens the plot, and were it not for Molly Parker and Callum Keith Rennie's stunning performances, this film would be seriously damaged. A difficult film to recommend.

An AWFUL film. What kind of abuse must the writer, director, and actors have suffered in their childhoods to want to tell, or be a part of this story? The performances are LAUGHABLE. Molly Parker is like a walking zombie incapable of expression. The lead male is soooooo faux. Pul-lease!! Enough already. If this director gets a chance to make more movies, then something is terribly wrong with the current film investment mentality. It's not an important story, nor well told. I felt like asking for my money back at the video store. That's a first. Actually, no. American Boyfriends by Canadian director Sandy Wilson was the first. Who would I recommend this film to? Psychos, serial rapists, or repeat sexual offenders. Save your money and pick another, ANY other, film on the shelf. It's evil! Don't watch it. And DON'T let your kids or loved ones watch it. I give it ZERO out of ten...since there is no rated negative value

Depressing movie about a woman who sells her body and then, just give it away. Molly Parker is very good as Leila, the motel receptionist who gives the male clients more than just the key to their room. But the movie is a little bit too much of the same, it seems to drag for most of the film. Only the last quarter of the film were interesting enough to keep me awake.

The movie still have some very troubling moments. It reminded me of what's happening in British Columbia these days: the police is discovering bodies of missing women at a pig farm in Port Coquitlam.

Interesting the story of the little girl in parallel. Symbolic? You decide. The setting is nice too. A little motel on the side of a secondary highway.

The movie is not really interesting, I guess, because of the script that seems not to be moving. Would probably have made a good one hour tv-movie.

Out of 100, I gave it 71. That's good for ** out of **** stars.

Seen in Toronto, at the Carleton Odeon Cinemas, on April 13th, 2002.

This is a rather distasteful indie film from Canadian director Lynn Stopkewich. Set in Washington state, where apparently it rains all the time, it features Molly Parker as a hooker motel clerk who is trying to raise money to escape her dreary life. One of her clients, Callum Keith Rennie, appears to be her ticket out of dullsville, but turns out to be her worst nightmare. To describe these people as dysfunctional does dysfunctional people a disservice. The movie is populated by characters would make even Jerry Springer blush - drunks, cheaters and physically abusive men. The only missing deviant behavior here is incest and necrophilia, and that's only because Miss Parker has already covered the latter in 1996's Kissed for the same director. Parker and Rennie are remarkable actors, and Stopkewich is a capable director who isn't afraid to push the envelope and take chances with her craft. I only wish they would have given us something to aspire to instead of dredging up the seedy lives of these miserable characters.