![]() The “cheap-looking and tawdry drama Above Suspicion” is based on Joe Sharkey’s non-fiction book of the same name (available on Amazon). Harrowing Story, Shallow FilmĮarly on, we learn that Putnam ends up killing Smith, putting an end to any suspense. “Sitting on the shelf for nearly five years hasn’t done Above Suspicion any favors, but it proves Emilia Clarke is a timeless and versatile actress who deserves better,” writes Nate Adams of The Only Critic. Completed in 2017 and announced during the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, the film could have been released at the height of Clarke’s popularity.Ĭould this be the reason it wasn’t received as widely and praised as highly as they expected? People believed the film and story had potential but regardless of the interesting aspects to it, some thought that there wasn’t quite enough there for a movie to make it work and to keep the viewer interested.Īccording to Diane Pershing of Malibu Times, this could partly be down to the fact that “it’s not a particularly special film, the genre has been done and overdone, but it is anchored by a stellar performance by the always-riveting Emilia Clarke.” Is a Big Star Enough to Carry a Mediocre Film?Īlthough the movie came out in 2019, it was made 2 years prior to its release. The movie was a failure and poorly revived by critics and has been slated by Matt’s Movie Reviews as being a “throwback to the worst aspects of 90s thriller filmmaking.” ![]() ![]() Her performance lacks sincerity and depth it’s difficult to connect with a character and her story if the acting isn’t convincing.Įmilia Clarke’s true-crime thriller film Above Suspicion is based upon Joe Sharkey’s non-fiction book of the same name (Credit: Lionsgate)Įven though the story had promise, it received 25% on rotten tomatoes and 5.6/10 on IMDb. As the story progresses and Susan becomes Agent Putnam’s informant, we’re supposed to think that she’s sincere in her desire to regain his love and start over.īut it’s never clear whether Clarke agrees with this interpretation of the character. However, the film requires her to be more vulnerable than that. In some scenes, her persona appears like a femme fatale, but she’s a local drug dealer seeking a way out. But why was this? Lacks ConvictionĮmilia Clarke plays the character of Susan Smith. While it starred Emilia Clarke and some other big stars, Above Suspicion was a failure and poorly received by critics. This scandal rocked the nation’s highest law enforcement agency, culminating in the first-ever murder conviction of an F.B.I. She sees him as a way out, but it’s actually a ticket to tragedy for both of them.Įmilia Clarke as Susan Smith and Jack Huston as Mark Putnam in the 2019 American crime thriller film Above Suspicion (Credit: Lionsgate) There, he becomes entangled in an unlawful relationship with a poor local woman, who later becomes his star informant. agent stationed to a Kentucky Appalachian mountain community. If you want to check out the book, there’s a link below.Above Suspicion is based on the true story of a newly married F.B.I. Hartford Courant (2000):’ Agent Who Killed Lover Ends SentencesĪs I mentioned in the podcast, this case inspired my latest novel, Still Falling. Tampa Bay Times (1991): Slaying by FBI Agent Still in Spotlight Mark was the first FBI agent ever convicted of murder. They’d been having an affair and she insisted she was pregnant. ![]() ![]() Mark Putnam confessed to strangling Susan and dumping her body in an isolated ravine. When the truth of what occurred on that fateful summer night was revealed, those who loved both Susan Smith and Mark Putnam were devastated. A year of wondering if she left, or perhaps was silenced by her ex-husband, a year of grief for the children and family she left behind. It would be a year before her whereabouts were known. But life is unpredictable and in Susan’s case, a relationship which should have been among the safest in her life turned out to be the deadliest. If life had unfolded for Susan Smith the way it did for most residents of Pikeville, Kentucky, she never would have met FBI agent Mark Putnam. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |