The debut of writer/director Irwin Winkler (At First Sight, De-Lovely) makes me smile plenty, as I reviewed "Guilty by Suspicion," starring Academy Award® heavy hitters Robert DeNiro, Annette Bening and Chris Cooper.

De Niro (Awakenings) stars as David Merill, a top-of-his-game filmmaker during the 1950s, when the US Congressional House Committee on un-American Activities set its sights on Hollywood. Its purpose, to weed out the communist party element from the nation's leading movie and television creators.

Although the Merill character is fictitious, the picture strives to make a fair and accurate portrayal about what these "named" entertainment producers and performers suffered despite their innocence. However, the picture is more accurate than fair. It does tend to lean its views towards the liberal explanations.

I would like to have witnessed one scene where the members of the house committee in question are speaking to colleagues, testifying how what they feel they are doing is the RIGHT thing do to. Instead, they were portrayed as corrupt, headline grabbing braggarts on a witch hunt, which to much extent was probably true. However, I think at least ONE person on the committee may have had intentions in the right place, just not his actions. It would have given the film more balance.

DeNiro of course proves why considering him was a great idea, but this type of role I feel would be easy for him to put together. He may disagree, but he definitely makes the performance look too easy.

Annette Being (American Beauty) plays Ruth Merill, David's wife, of whom is separated from the film director at the start of the picture, but they soon reconcile in the darkest hours of act three.

Chris Cooper (Adaptation) has very few scenes as screenwriter Larry Nolan, but they are powerful. He opens the picture, purging himself for having attended communist party meetings and names his friends who innocently attended but never joined, including Merill and Merill's best friend Bunny Baxter, played solidly by George Wendt (TV's Cheers).

Cooper's other scene shows him after the meeting with members of the house committee, as he stands in his courtyard burning books from his own library. The scene sends a creepy prelude to the rest of the film.

Winkler's style was very simple, but performances carried the picture. His strength on this picture was more in his writing than his camera choices.

I have not seen a DVD copy of this picture which isn't bare bones. I also cannot find a widescreen copy, but because of its subdued directing style, the viewer doesn't miss much with the full screen format.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?