Don't listen to the negative reviews

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Are we allowed to judge people on the basis of their actions? I want to say 'yes' because such abstract words as 'principles', 'conscience', 'morality'… only take their full meaning when they are compromised, and since our conscience is the compass that either guides or misleads the path of our life, at the end, not only we can but we should judge someone from what he or she did.Yet, what speaks in favor of our right to judge? Till today, many French people ask themselves which choice they'd have made during the German occupation: resistance, collaboration … or neither, and no one would deny how often the entire population of France has been blamed, especially by American, just because some of it did collaborate. But History wanted to submit those very judges to a similar case of moral dilemmas through the infamous Joseph McCarthy and an institution whose acronym immediately reminds of America's darkest hours: HUAC, House of Un-American Activities Committee.A few movies dealt with McCarthyism, as if Hollywood itself was ashamed of that indelible stain in its memory, when a part of the Artistic community surrendered to the pressure of HUAC, by denouncing colleagues, friends, sometimes both, who were members of the Communist Party, or attended their meetings. The most blatantly disgraceful aspect of the 'Witch Hunt' relied on the fact that most of these meetings were held when Russia was seen as a possible ally against fascism, and many of those who participated to them, were young idealistic artists who only exercised their freedom of actions and ten years later, they could lose their jobs, be blacklisted, jailed, even executed (the Roseneberg case) to fight the … 'Red Scare'."Guilty by Suspicion" immediately plunges us in this world of pressure and paranoia, it's literally a descent to hell since the director cares less about making a political statement than paying a modest and gripping tribute to those who sacrificed their jobs and lives, for their principles. A director (Martin Scorsese in a memorable cameo) is forced to leave the country, maybe an allusion to Charlie Chaplin, a notoriously alcoholic actress (Patricia Wettig) is pushed to suicide after her husband (Chris Cooper) did 'his duty' and took his son away from her, people lose their jobs, HUAC is basically the poignant chronicles of a human tragedy, embodied by the central performance of Robert De Niro as David Merryl, a fictional director who crystallizes many aspects of blacklisted directors.The sober quality of the directing perfectly fits the film, Irwin Winkler is more famous as the producer of "Rocky", "Raging Bull" or "Goodfellas" doesn't stylize his film, it doesn't have the sort of 'period' look of Clooney's films, but the performances the script highlight the tragic aspect of the McCarthyism as the ideology that destroyed people: the victims of course, but let's not forget that in a longer term, those who named would forever live with the intolerable weight of guilt and infamy. Can we judge them, these people whose Elia Kazan remains the most emblematic examples. I guess 'yes', since they acted, according to their conscience, responsibly … they wanted to keep working. Is that enough a motive? "Guilty by Suspicion" gives a good counter-example.And maybe it's because it's the first De Niro film I ever watched, when I was a kid, but it's one of my favorite performance, as a sympathetic and righteous character, so convinced that he has nothing to blame himself on that his optimism confine to a tragic naivety from our point of view. He has a job, he's a great director, with many friends welcoming him at his return from Europe, his best friend Bunny Baxter (George Wendt) is a renowned screenwriter, and his dedication to his job is estranged him from his wife (Annette Bening) and son. David's job is all his life, so we know it's a matter of time before he loses everything step by step. The thrilling and heart-breaking element on the story is the way the process affects Merryl, almost going through the five stages of grief.At first, he can't believe that his country jeopardizes his life asking him to betray his friends, his paranoid anger leads then to an extreme anxiety for his future. The bargaining process is illustrated by the scenes with Darryl F. Zanuck, the Fox mogul who asks his protégé to cooperate. At the end, every opportunity finally fails, one of the most significant is the "High Noon" film, the film that best exemplifies McCarthyism. The mental process I just described also affects his buddy Baxter, with a different timing. When Merryl suggests he takes a lawyer, he's in denial, when Merryl is totally disillusioned, Baxter 'bargains' by asking for David's permission to name him, since he was already screwed. Nothing is sadder than witnessing the collapse of a childhood friendship.We know the resignation time is coming, that David will have face his conscience, sooner or later, the climactic sequence in the courtroom is exceptionally thrilling, because we know where the questions will inevitably lead, when David reckon he attended two party members, he's asked to specify where it was, which means in whose house it was, what follows is just the struggle of a man who holds his life in his hands, and can either clean himself and forever live with the mark of infamy or just screw the Commission, lose everything for his principles, this moment is elevated by De Niro's magnificent performance.The ending is sad, on the surface, because it states the ultimate downfall of David Merryl who has all the talent, but will not be able to express it but ultimately it's a triumph on morality and principles. And the "Shame on You" is the relieving cry of a man who can finally speak his voice, and put and end of his hellish situation. "Guilty by Suspicion" is a powerful drama that deserves much more recognition.

I consider this period of the early 90's to be Robert DeNiro's second wind, if you will, after many great films he starred in the 70's. This film, along with the excellent Goodfellas, Awakenings, Night and the City, A Bronx Tale, and Cape Fear highlighted a great actor's resume. He hasn't done many great films in a while, but his acting chops speak for themselves. He stars here as David Merrill, a blacklisted director in Hollyweird, who's basically accused of being a communist and certain government factions want him to name names. His performance, although subdued, is very solid as he struggles with the decision to either report his friends, who are thought to be Communist in order to rescue his once promising career, or refuse to give up any names so their lives and careers won't be destroyed also. There's a moving scene between Merrill and congress as they bombard him with questions and accusations. This is probably the most memorable scene, but I thought it tries to wrap the film up in a neat little ball, as opposed to letting us know exactly what went on in those supposedly communist meetings Merrill was a part of, and what was discussed there and who attended these meetings.George Wendt does a commendable job as Bunny Baxter, even though it's difficult to see him other than Norm from Cheers, but I digress. Annette Benning and Patricia Wettig also give solid performances in this forgotten little film based on a true story.

Movie about the House Committee on Un-American Activities and their attack on supposed communism in Hollywood. It takes place in 1951 and director David Merrill (Robert DeNiro) returns from France to find Hollywood and his friends living in terror of being called to testify in front of the committee. If you didn't name names your career was officially over and you were (unofficially) suspected of being a communist. Merrill refuses to name anybody and his life becomes a nightmare. It also affects his ex-wife Ruth (Annette Bening) and friend Bunny Baxter (George Wendt).This movie has good intentions and it's great that anybody made a film dealing with the horrendous witch hunts in the 1950s--but this film just doesn't work. It's simplistic to a ridiculous degree--EVERYTHING is dumbed down so anyone can get it. Also the plot is obvious (I was always one step ahead of this) and the movie is overlong. However the movie looks just great and the music is wonderful. Acting really helps this one--DeNiro is a little subdued but still good; Bening is given the thankless ex-wife role but pulls it off; Wendt overdoes it at times but is basically pretty good and Patricia Wettig (as a friend who cracks under the strain) is WAY over the top to an embarrassing degree. Also it's amusing to see Martin Scorses in a small role as a director. Ultimately the film is too bland to really work--but the courtroom sequence at the end does provide real fireworks. Worth seeing if you know nothing about what happened in Hollywood back then. I can only give it a 5.

Robert DeNiro will not give names to the House UnAmerican Activities committee. There goes his Hollywood career. His marriage to Ruth, Annette Bening, has already ended in divorce, so why not the rest of his life down the drain as well?The film is very similar in nature to Woody Allen's "The Front" of the 1970s. If you've seen the latter, you know what the ending shall be. It's called principles above all.Patricia Wettig gives a fine supporting performance as an actress turned in by her own husband with tragedy resulting.Nice to see Martin Scorsese go in front of the cameras for this film. He is fleeing to England to escape testifying.We get a wonderful sense of the 1950s in Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe is hot and so is this film.