Luna di miele fatale

Tis might have supposedly have been inspired by a true life crime case . I say supposedly because the TV company behind this film had to publish one of those disclaimers about any living people or real life events being entirely coincidental ? Was this a double bluff or were the company genuinely worried about being sued in litigation happy America . One can only speculate because " true life crimes " are a shaky subject . Remember BADLANDS where Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek went on a killing spree ? that was supposedly inspired by a real case of serial killing until it became clear that a certain protagonist was up for parole so the movie company started getting cold feet and insisted it wasn't inspired by real life . The premise to DEADLY HONEYMOON might share a basic and vague connection to a real life crime where a newly wed husband disappears aboard a cruise ship but surely nearly every film outside the fantasy genre could claim it too mirrors real events and people though be it in a loose form ?

Actually DEADLY HONEYMOON might actually benefit from being a low budget TVM . This means not very good actors . Why is that a benefit you ask ? Well a man disappears and his wife is a prime suspect for his disappearance . This means the audience aren't asking themselves if the director should have cast a pool cue as the lead actress since it'd be less wooden , or if Summer Glau has less range than a water pistol but is her character really upset about her husband going missing or is it all just an act to cover up the crime . Same as the Hungarians with their generic foreign accents which will have you asking maybe they're Romanian Gypsies or stowaways from Latin America

One aspect of being made for television that did surprise me is that the early sections of the TVM has the shots relatively close up , especially on the cruise ship deck where the swimming pool is located . We also don't get to see a long tracking establishing shot where the protagonists board the ship which instantly made me think that a lack of budget meant the production team couldn't get access to a real ship and were going to manfully spend the story trying and failing to convince the audience the story was taking place outside of a TV studio . Strangely later on we do see shots that are undoubtedly film on board a ship . Okay it's probably not a cruise ship but it's still a sea going vessel . I'm guessing director Paul Shapiro doesn't know how to handle an establishing shot ?

After an opening news correspondent foreshadows doom, we find handsome Chris Carmack (as Trevor Forrest) and sexy Summer Glau (as Lindsey Ross) going on a luxury honeymoon cruise. The couple does so much partying, nobody can figure out how an unfortunate tragedy occurred. Gambling, sex, and drugs are involved. Also keep an eye on three mysterious Hungarian men. Conveniently aboard ship is nicely-figured divorcée and vacationing FBI agent Zoe McLellan (as Gwen Merced), who tries to solve the case. Attractive ship security officer Erik Palladino (as Alan Sherrick) is also involved...

This "Lifetime" TV movie begins with the disclaimer: "The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or events." Producers apparently passed on the real story rights, or couldn't make a financial deal with the families involved. This story is very similar to the case of George and Jennifer Smith, who played out their tragedy on cruise ship in 2005. The story became a US TV favorite, with FOX "News" correspondent Greta Van Susteren leading the charge; she even brought her FOX crew to tour the bloody ship. This version seems plausible to a point, and Ms. Glau is convincingly cagey.

***** Deadly Honeymoon (4/25/10) Paul Shapiro ~ Summer Glau, Chris Carmack, Zoe McLellan, Erik Palladino

Why on Earth do they keep putting the FBI agent in the same halter top get up just in different colors and patterns?? Is this all that a female FBI agent owns for vacation wear? Probably not. Just like how the captain wouldn't forget ahead in an "Oscar Oscar Oscar" situation (morse code/maritime term for man overboard). Protocol is to stop, search and immediately turn around. Passengers are informed of change of itinerary. But, lifetime didn't get the message. They blame the missing persons on some annoying Europeans and then the euro trash blames the wife. Then the FBI agent shows up in a little black dress and heels at the crime scene during daylight, because duh, that's what we all wear on a cruise during daylight. Another peeve: the couple was together for "three years" yet later there is the scene where the wife says, "is this how it's gonna be the rest of our lives?" As he chugs vodka outta the bottle: this is surprising her? The main characters suck just as bad as the Hungarian scapegoats. It has it's moments if you're not hung up on the details like me. If you like dinner murder mysteries from your local town's community theater, you'll love this.

I have seen a few movies and TV-series that stars Summer Glau, Terminator: The Sarah Connor chronicles, Serenity and The Cape. She does a terrific job with all of these character. And even in this low-budget movie she does a good character, but the problem does not seem to be Summer, but rather the male actor she is playing against. He is very 2 dimensional, there is no natural charm, no feelings expressed in the face and he seem to nervous and too rushed to get into character.

I understand that this is a very low budget film, but even the directing and script is on par with such a low budget movie. I just wish the male actor was someone else, it would have risen the movie to another level.

4/10 because of a good enough script and Summer Glau's performance.

Based on a recent true event, this colorless movie tells the tale of a young couple on their honeymoon cruise, but the starring role seems to have gone to Zoe McLellan as the ship's social director. She gets all the close ups and glamor shots, and her glistening cleavage is most on display throughout the film. It makes for an odd and lopsided tale, since she is at the center of every crime-solving scene, an unlikely place for the ship's social director to be. The story concerns the mysterious death of the handsome young husband, played by chiseled Chris Carmac looking as if he had just stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch ad, which in fact he has. The former model has little to do but look attractive, which he does in a generic way that evokes countless other male models of recent vintage. His churlish young wife is played by Summer Glau, glowering her way through the honeymoon. Did some Russian playboys kill the husband, or did the wife do it in a fit of jealous rage? We may never know, and this dull movie does little to pique our interest. By the end, you probably won't care who did it. There is no atmosphere, no sense of being at sea or aboard a ship. This is a drab, cheap snooze with an unknown cast set in a variety of colorless rooms and offices. Deadly indeed.