Fatal Honeymoon

Fatal Honeymoon (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Good made-for-television take on the murder case brought against Gabe Watson (Billy Miller) whose wife Tina (Amber Clayton) drowned while on their honeymoon. The husband's story is that the wife simply sank to the bottom of the ocean but her father (Harvey Keitel) believes that the husband cut off her oxygen supply so that he could get her life insurance. FATAL HONEYMOON is yet another true story brought to us by Lifetime and this one here manages to be quite good thanks in large part to some terrific performances. For the most part the film plays it straight meaning that it never really says Gabe is innocent or guilty. I think the "facts" of the case are so mysterious that it's hard to tell a story one way or the other but at the same time the film had no problems showing Gabe to be a complete jerk so the viewer will certainly have their own opinion on whether he was guilty or not. The film does a very good job at bouncing back and forth with all of the events from the time the two met, to their wedding and eventually their honeymoon, which would leave the wife dead. The film also did a good job showing the events from the grieving father who will stop at nothing to find out what really happened. As I said earlier, the performances are what makes this film work so well. Miller is downright chilling in his role and he's certainly one of the most memorable cold-blooded "killers" I've seen from one of these fact-based dramas. The way Miller plays the coldness is quite memorable. Keitel is also extremely good in the role of the father even though you really don't expect to see someone like him in a movie like this. I thought the actor was quite strong in the scenes where he's trying to find out what happened but also quite touching during the scenes where he's grieving for his daughter. Clayton is also good in her role, although the screenplay really doesn't give her much to do than play the victim. FATAL HONEYMOON features some nice cinematography, a good music score and overall it does a nice job in telling its story.

Okay. We all agree it was a tragic story. But only tragic enough to be made into a low budget made for TV movie. And that brings me to my point. This movie shows how you can take a superb and versatile actor as Harvey Keitel, drop him into a low budget movie with a low budget director and absolutely no interesting supporting cast, and he sucks just as if he were one of them. Did Harvey need a quick cash infusion? I know he didn't exactly call in his part. But he nevertheless came off as pathetic. Had the producers chosen to cast an equally unknown and mediocre actor for the father instead of disrupting the story with an A lister subjected to a bad script the story would have been easier take.

Fatal Honeymoon (TV movie 2012) 6 out of 10 stars

BASIC PLOT: Christina "Tina" Thomas (Amber Clayton) has fallen for the wrong man. David Gabriel "Gabe" Watson (Billy Miller) is an arrogant, manipulative man child, everyone can see it EXCEPT Tina. Her father, Tommy Thomas (Harvey Keitel) tries desperately to warn her about Gabe, but to no avail. After much turmoil, Gabe & Tina get married. Gabe believes Tina has changed a sizable life insurance policy over to him, when they head to Australia to scuba dive on their honeymoon.

After many protestations by Tina about her lack of skill at scuba diving, and her unease at doing such a skilled dive while still a novice, Gabe at best doesn't listen to Tina, and at worst bullies her into doing something she's not comfortable with. Either way, her distress goes unheard and unheeded by her new husband. Tina dies due to Gabe's negligence. What's unknown is whether it was intentional, or not. Her father believes it was intentional, and fights for justice for his slain daughter.

WHAT WORKS: *BILLY MILLER (RIP) PLAYS HIS ROLE TO PERFECTION. Billy Miller fully captures a sociopath, trapped in his glory days, plotting & scheming his way out of a murder charge.

*FOR A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, THIS GETS A LOT RIGHT They even found a matching wedding dress, to the one the real Tina wore. Someone took the time to get the details right, and it adds to the overall believability of the movie.

*HARVEY KEITEL DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB AS "TOMMY THOMAS" I know we would all expect him to do a good job, but he doesn't just phone in his role. Grieving is the hardest things for an actor to get right, and the scene where "Tommy" (Harvey Keitel) gets the news his daughter is dead, brought tears to my eyes.

*BEAUTIFULLY DEMONSTRATES HOW SMART WOMEN CAN BE LED ASTRAY BY CONNIVING MEN This movie could be a cautionary tale for women, who think they can change men for the better, or that they'll one day grow up.

*CINEMATOGRAPHY & DIRECTING IS TOP NOTCH Movies should be a series of descriptive stills, that unfold the story. You should be able to break down any shot into a still photo, and understand what's happening, without audio. This movie accomplishes this, and more. There are also some captivating shots of Australia. Kudos to Nadia Tass (director) & David Parker (cinematographer).

*BRILLIANTLY SHOWS HOW A SOCIOPATH THINKS Gabe (Billy Miller) sees Tina (Amber Clayton) as property, therefore, her leaving him is not an option. Instead, when she tries, he feels the need to punish her, and reward himself. This movie shows these steps, and we (the omnipotent viewer) see Tina hurtling towards disaster.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *WHERE ARE THE SOUTHERN ACCENTS? The only person who even attempts one (maybe because he's the only one who could pull it off) is Harvey Keitel.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would definitely recommend "Fatal Honeymoon" to fans of movies based on true events. This movie goes out of it's way to get the details right. Even if you're not interested in the real case (I had never heard about it the first time I watched this movie), the movie is still sincere and impactful. The script (written by Mac Gudgeon & Teena Booth) adds a layer of veracity, not seen in most made-for-tv films. The performances are compelling and sincere, making this a heartfelt retelling of actual events.

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.

In a confusing opening, we switch settings without understanding what on Earth is happening. Australia 2003, Alabama two years earlier, and Miami four years later pass quickly. Stay tuned, because it does make sense. The basic story begins when attractive students Billy Miller (as David Gabriel "Gabe" Watson) and Amber Clayton (as Christina "Tina" Thomas) meet at a university in Alabama. They are mutually attracted and hook up. Their foremost characteristics, early on, are that he's a bit of a jerk and she's afraid of water. Eventually, there is a proposal. Her father, Harvey Keitel (as Thomas "Tommy" Thomas) reluctantly gives the couple his blessing. As you can guess by the title, a "Fatal Honeymoon" occurs...

This was very likely based on a true story. It aired near the end of an era when this type of story was very popular on US television. Usually, a good-looking young man took a pretty blonde girl out to some exotic location for nefarious activities. Sensationalist TV commentators like Greta Van Susteren and Nancy Grace would breathlessly report any information or misinformation on the incidents. TV movie adaptations followed. Probably, these stories continue, but they are presently not in vogue. Having Mr. Keitel play a major role lifts the performances; in this case, a rising tide lifts all boats. The production is not below average for a TV drama, but the story is far too subjective and its characters lack substance.

**** Fatal Honeymoon (2012-08-25) Nadia Tass ~ Billy Miller, Harvey Keitel, Amber Clayton, Gary Sweet

I just watched the ridiculous movie with so many faults. Billy Miller was as good as at total tool as could be. Harvey Kitel played a father who seeming gave up on his daughter marring this guy. I have know idea how true any of this was except for the fact Tina Watson died. This is what I don't get. Why did the other divers just watch her sink to the bottom? They all claimed to be so experienced. And during her struggle she lost a fin (her left one) and then suddenly as she when was sinking it miraculously wast on her foot again. Who edited this disaster? Then Tom shows up the day Gabe is exhuming her body really?? Poorly written. Poorly edited. Billy Miller sure played a great mjor A-Hole though.