Directed by Irwin Winkler (Life as a House, The Net, De-Lovely / also produced Rocky series, The Right Stuff, and a number of Scorsese films- Raging Bull, Goodfellas, etc)

Starring Robert De Niro, Annette Benning, George Wendt, Chris Cooper, Martin Scorsese

IMDB Synopsis: “David Merrill (Robert De Niro), a fictitious 1950s Hollywood director, returns from filming abroad in France to find that his loyalty has been called into question by the House Committee on Un-American Activities and he is unable to work until cleared.”

This movie is really interesting. It creates a detailed and realistic portrait of 1950s Hollywood… well, it’s “realistic” as far as I know. I guess “believable” is a better word. For me, the best thing a period film can do is to create a distinct mood and communicate to the audience the mindset of the people living in the time period depicted, and I think that the film did a great job at this.

Unfortunately though, the time period that Guilty by Suspicion recreates is a time of frustration, persecution and paranoia (none of which make for the most satisfying of viewing experiences).Though it doesn’t come up with any “neat” conclusions, I feel like no film truly depicting this era really could.

DeNiro is great, and it’s definitely interesting, but not the most entertaining movie.