Il lato oscuro della mia matrigna

I expected a real movie. This is just pathetic and laughable even for Lifetime. Cutting costs? Down to rock bottom. Awful cinematography, so cheap-looking, one minute it looks like VHS (soap opera tape!) And next, not even sure, it's so weird. Where did these actors come from, casting call rejects? Abominable in every category. I was too distracted by awfulness to discern the plot but noticed the Token Black Servant that just has to be in any New Orleans-set film. As a life-long resident and native of that city I can assure you of the ridiculousness and untruth of this and it is offensive. I rarely mention anything of this nature but after seeing this in multiple movies I just can't ignore it anymore. I don't write reviews all that often but this joke of a movie is just sad. The only redeeming thing in it is the beautiful local scenery and sets, like the house, of course and the ferry that takes passengers between the east and west banks of the Mississippi River. Ruined by awful actors. Watch if you want to laugh or cry, not at the plot but at the terrible actors. I can't seriously recommend this, watch at your own risk!

This movie begins as a drama, and unfolds with a story about a true psycho.

It's not a spoiler to state that the "bad stepmother" is deranged. I don't think I have any "spoilers" in this review.

The murder of a wealthy man is how this begins. We know the stepmother is the killer. Within the first five minutes of this film, she meets with the two children of the man she killed. Her own son is also there to meet the two children.

To any street savvy person, much of what later takes place is obvious. This story is actually a theatrical drama about the elite in the world of street savvy people, in a culture where the dividing line no longer exists.

There are many important characters in this story. We even understand the posthumous character of the father, who chose someone out of the gutter that he felt could be his new wife.

There are the two siblings, a brother, obviously older, and very responsible, and a sister, who has many flaws and lives for the moment. The stepmother, her son, the lawyer who is executor, a maid, a private investigator, and a very quiet fiancee of the brother make up the bulk of the story. Two other very pivotal characters make brief appearances.

What really draws us in to the story is the older brother, the strength of the story. As an elite member of society, he has learned some street savvy, and it's obvious. His sister thinks she has street savvy, but doesn't. The brother is almost an "everyman" thrown into the situation of a wealthy man thrust into a world where there really is no protection from danger. What is perceived as "protection" is a facade that already most everyone knows is a facade. That's what makes it so easy for human monsters like the stepmother to become a very outspoken part of society.

This makes some events even more important to us later on. We're following the brother, whose instincts born of experience are correct. His fiancee is assisting him.

There is a parallel between the gold digging stepmother and the man's daughter. Both are venturing into the world with no cares. The stepmother is haggard, and one wonders how she fools so many people. Actually, haggard people are much more likely to "con" people than the elite realize. That's where two people in this story make fatal errors.

How does she fool him? How does she fool other characters? That's one thing this screenplay doesn't go into. Given another half hour, the writer and director might delve into that.

That's one of the strengths of this movie, to simply show the homicidal maniac for what a homicidal maniac is, and not try to gloss over it for the Beavis and Butthead crowd who want to identify with homicidal maniacs.

This movie does so by giving us the appearance of a parallel between characters, only to show that this parallel never truly existed. This film is one of those that has more than is evident at first glance.

This is one of those entertaining Lifetime thrillers that is fine if you don't expect too much. It's quite engrossing and fast moving and doesn't take itself too seriously. An errant daughter comes home to New Orleans after her father dies shortly after marrying his secretary. She gets involved with her stepmother's son. But her brother is suspicious.

The trashiness of some of the characters is funny. Kristy Swanson is always a welcome presence and she does a good job as the Bad Stepmother. She looks slimmer than she has for some time. Her stepdaughter is played by Sofia Vassilieva. Her character is so frustrating that it's laughable.

Worth one watch.

The acting is horrible especially from the kids especially the daughter (whose character is a bumbling idiot btw). I just suffered to 38 minutes and have been annoyed since at least 10 min in. Me and my will to finish what I start. Gets me in trouble every time. Someone gave this a 9...definitely someone involved whether employee or supporter.

After reading phd_travel's review I watched this movie without having 'high expectations', however still i was disappointed by this movie. It seemed very amateur, didn't have much depth to the movie, and it is almost impossible to connect with the characters and share any kind of emotion.

Still, give the movie a try, maybe you'll like it.......