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.
