Under Suspicion (2000)

I stumbled across this movie recently on Netflix and just turned it on. I'm glad that I did. This movie features Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Monica Bellucci. Morgan Freeman plays Captain Victor Benezet, a captain of the detective division investigating the murder of a pair of young girls in the town. Gene Hackman plays Henry Hearst, a prominent local attorney who is brought in for follow up questioning about the murders shortly before he's to be giving a speach at a benefit dinner. Monica Bellucci is Chantal Hearst, the younger wife of Henry. Captain Benezet, and his younger partner Dective Felix Jones (Thomas Jane), are convinced that Mr. Hearst is not what he appears and that he may have been involved in the deaths. As Mr. Hearst repeats his denials Captain Benezet and Detective Jones begin to turn up the pressure. Cracks in the pressure campaign when Detective Jones is left alone with Mr. Hearst and he crosses the line. Captain Benezet tries to get things back on track but nothing is working until Mrs. Hearst shows up to figure out what's going on. Details about their marriage start to come out and knowing that his wife doubts him begins to weigh upon Mr. Hearst. Detective Jones makes a discovery back at the Hearst home and Mrs. Hearst's doubts come crashing down and she's convinced of her husband involvement in the murders. When Henry learns of his wife's doubts he cracks and confesses to the murders. As Captain Benezet steps out of the interogation to celebrate the break in the case. It's at this moment that the Captain, and Chantal Hearst learn that the murderer has been caught in the act and that his most recent victim will live. In some ways, you could consider this an early commentary on the phenomena of falsh confessions in popular media. I suspect that this movie was not intended to be taken that way, but it still works. 8 out of 10 *'s.