The Movie
A story about Leila Murray (Molly Parker), an unhappily married hotel receptionist, tired with her dull life, who decides to spice it up a bit by offering "a little extra" to the guests that check in. Unlike "Kissed", the prior offering by Lynne Stopkewich, this is a nowhere plot trying to exist in a nowhere town.

A chronology of a woman's destruction, it contains unsuccessful parallels of her childhood to that of a local youth (Mary Kate Welsh) mixed with symbolisms such as the arrival and departure of swans on the river named after the movie. Leila works her way down the list of customers that visit the dank and dark town finally meeting Gary (Callum Keith Rennie) who beats, rapes and eventually lets his friends have their way with her. In a comatose state, she escapes the near death encounter back across the river into the arms of a waiting girlfriend leaving us with a feeling of survival but no realization of her mistakes.

If there is anything that makes this film worth sitting through it is Toronto actress Molly Parker, who tends to shine on her own. Her talents, however, are completely wasted resulting in a lighthouse placed in a sea of nothingness.

DVD
1.85:1, anamorphic, original format, 95 minutes.

Video
Acceptable but not exceptional. Artifacts exist but do not detract from the viewing experience. Colors are muted for effect.

Audio
Dolby 2.0, Dolby 5.1.
A haunting score by Don MacDonald but otherwise nothing special in the way of effects or separation.

Menus
Play / Scene Selection / Special features.
Non-animated with thumbnails.

Extras
The trailer for "Suspicious River".

Final Thoughts
Following the controversial but popular offering "Kissed", Vancouver director Lynne Stopkewich has given us a quite depressing and lack luster follow-up of "Suspicious River." A small town girl turns prostitute to get money, although we don't really know why, and, as expected, gets what is coming to her. Failing as a depiction of what psychological or behavioral problems can lead to a woman's destruction, it is more of a directors fascination with violence that sums up to be a mystery to those watching it and a real snoozer.