Innocenti omicidi

This movie was really good. It's the best movie ever made about this case. I'm gonna read the book that it's based on. Great acting, costumes, production, set decoration, directing, photography, script, and portrayal of this real story and events.

Spoilers Coming Up!

Sante' Kimes was a spoiled brat who did whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, hurt other people without a care in the world for their well being and best interest. She enslaved women and beat them with hot irons and other things. That's what sent her to prison with a five year sentence, (she only served three). But she didn't learn anything from it, because she began her felonious behavior again the minute she was released. She also lured her son Kenny in with her.

The Kimes most certainly are guilty of killing Irene Silvermen and the two men. They can deny it all they want, but everyone else knows the truth. The book that the maid gave Kenny with the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" would have been good for Kenny, and I think things would have been different for him if he had been able to keep that book. She could also have used that story herself.

I hope Sante and Kenny Kimes both have lives filled with misery. They should have been given the death penalty. Rot in prison both of you, ha-ha.

I give this movie an 8/10 star rating.

"A Little Thing Called Murder" is another TV movie about Sante and Kenny Kimes, the real-life mother and son con artist/murder team. The first film starred Mary Tyler Moore and focused mainly on the murder of Irene Silverman, the New York woman killed for her brownstone and whose body was never found. (Court TV also did a documentary on them.) In this version, the murder of Irene is at the end of the movie. Director Richard Benjamin takes us through the bizarre life of Sante, with each crime a new episode that begins with the title "A Little" - which is how Sante thought of her crimes - A Little Problem with the Maid (slavery), A Little Problem with the Check, etc.

Now in prison, Sante Kimes must be in life as over the top as depicted by Mary Tyler Moore - and if you thought Moore was outrageous, wait until you see Judy Davis sink her teeth into Sante. The approach in this film is more of dark comedy, though much of it is quite shocking. Davis' performance can only be described as out there - and probably accurate. Sante thoroughly corrupts her young son, played here by adorable Jonathan Jackson, which makes his crimes and killings all the more horrible. She sets fire to the family home for insurance; she takes a test drive in a car and holds onto it for a year; her Mexican help are actually slaves; she shoplifts, and when caught, she hits her son and goes after the security guard; the two claim to the cops that the security guard slapped Kenny and leave; she hides her husband's death so she can clean out his Bahamian bank accounts; and finally, of course, the Silverman case. In real life, not shown here, Sante actually posed as Silverman, an 82-year-old, in order to sign some papers.

Catch Davis performing "Santa Baby" with a boa and you'll know you've entered the twilight zone. She's a scream. The film is very well done, interesting, and intriguing. But don't look for motives or reasons. The writers deliberately didn't explore them. Sante is so nuts, though, one wonders if she hadn't lost sight of her original demons years earlier.

It might be hard to believe this story if it wasn't true. For the record, I'd never heard of any of this until I watched this, nor have I read the book. I cannot comment on how close this stays to the actual events. I understand that this is a comedy, and I suppose I can see how some, maybe even most, would find it funny. Not a single thing made me crack a hint of a smile in this, but then again, I do not have a great tolerance for unbelievably irritating and obnoxious women, and apart from this featuring that one from According to Jim who's being so is her sole "joke"(not that that show has a lot of hilarity going on anyway... I digress), the lead is also portraying one such individual. I don't blame the actress. In fact, let's clear that up right away: The performances are spot-on, everyone is credible, and Davis does marvelous. I would guess that the behavior is close to that of the real Sante, and *she* is the one I have the real beef with. The plot is interesting enough, and well-told. Pacing is good. The editing and cinematography are nice. This holds mild violence, disturbing content and a little sexuality. I recommend this to those who like films about con artists. 7/10

Judy Davis is mesmerizing as the pitiful, warped Sante Kimes. Her sons (the actors) are both wonderful in their roles as well as her husband. Its a nonstop ride of dark comedy and over the top performances that are actually taken from real life scenarios. I think its an Emmy nod for Davis. It still should be made into a feature considering the wealth of real life situations that were never realized because of time, and the fact that this mother/son duo is so rare and full of intrigue as to what took so long as to where they finally ended up in jail for life after several decades of murders, cons, and dysfunction. This movie just touches the surface of the horrors they inflicted as part of their entertainment of life. I loved the movie and the direction is what moves it along so well. Altogether a great TV movie and entertainment.

Judy Davis will certainly merit an Emmy nomination come the next time they hand those awards out. She is absolutely fabulous in "A Little Thing Called Murder."

Despicable, insane, brutal are just some of the many adjectives that can be used to describe Miss Davis's brilliant performance as grifter Sante Kimes.

This woman, who apparently was born to do evil, is everything you wouldn't want in a person. Manipulative, maniacal and just outrageous. Slapping her child and then blaming the security guard for it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Killing just comes natural to Sante. Whether it's drowning or strangulation, she is up to the task completely.

The worst thing that ever happened to her son was when she is released from prison after a 4 year stint of enslaving maids. She is back home to mold him into her evil ways and what a job she did.

Kudos to the makeup artist for making Davis old and ugly with an almost matronly look that anyone might just sympathize with. That's of course until she opens her mouth. It's as if the whole world is against her, which of course is her basic trouble.

Absorbing film. Judy Davis, you're one heck of a great actress!