Estranhas Irmãs

This happens to be one of my favorite "trash wallows" as we used to call these expensive soapers in the '80s. Unfortunately, there aren't the budgets for TV movies that there used to be.

Stefanie Powers is in her prime in this dual role of a plain Jane wife of a college teacher and her glamorous jet setting twin sister. The cast includes Sherlock Holmes himself, Jeremy Brett and none other than Gina Lollabrigida. Part of the movie takes place in Venice and it's glorious!

Deceptions embodies a certain '80s decadence for me - I love the scene on the yacht where all these hedonists are dancing to the Pointer Sisters. But my favorite is the night of the twins' birthday, celebrated in an Italian villa, where they dance to "Don't Let it Stop" and the shy sister starts to really get into it, juxtaposed against some nefarious doings outside the villa. It's great fun.

This is one of the few 80s miniseries I thoroughly enjoyed. It's very exciting and enjoyable, and just cheesy enough to not take itself too seriously. AND it has Gina Lolobrigida! The Princeton subplot wasn't all that interesting, but the rest of this movie was great. And who could forget Mrs. Thirkel insulting the medical profession and Italian food. Classic. This isn't for beer swilling dudes or high culture snobs, but most everyone else will love it for the scenes in Europe, the exciting plot, and the comedic high drama. I'm upset it's not available on video.

I was not expecting much out of this made-for-TV film but found myself enjoying it mostly on account of its production values. The scenes filmed on location in Venice, Rome and London were especially exciting, and the finale was definitely very well done. The only fault: Southern California is unmistakable and cannot pass for Portofino (the yacht scene). Other than that, we are very noticeably in the 80's (hairstyles, fashion), the story has its originality and most of the acting is adequate. Gina Lollobrigida as a sexy movie star-turned-princess is highly enjoyable and glamorous as always. Stefanie Powers does very well as the twin sisters, registering both roles with credibility.

This was an interesting take on 'The Prince and the Pauper.' Stephanie Powers stars as a bored and financially stressed housewife of a college professor (Barry Boswick) with rumors of taking liberties with his students.

Ironically we learn in an early scene that Boswick is actually one of the few professors NOT trading grades for sex.

Stephanie stressed for a vacation ends up celebrating her birthday with her twin Sabrina whom lives life in the fast and glamorous world of the rich Euro trash.

Just as in the original story, as the two share complaints about their lives the start to see the grass on the other side looking greener and decide to trade places. Stephanie will experience all the glitz and glamour of Europe, while Sabrina will return to the stable life of an American housewife and mother of two (Fairuza Balk and Tobey Maquire).

Also predictably the two learn to actually enjoy life on the other side. Sabrina ends up falling in love with Prof. Boswick and being the caring and involved mother Stephanie did not want to be.

Logically this plot shouldn't work. It's not like 'The Prince and the Pauper' or 'The Prisoner of Zenda' where coworkers/royal subjects could be easily duped. But children know knowing their own mother? A husband and boyfriends not noticing any differences in the bedroom? Surely they could not be so easily fooled.

The storyline really is very exciting and keeps you enthralled enough to hang on to every scene. I can't write any more without giving away some key plot twists. Just be assured the story takes some real twists.

Not so realistic is the scene where Sabrina finally tells Boswick the truth about her identity. Sure he's angry and kicks her out but realistically anyone else wouldn't be as nice. They'd throw her out the window or bury her in the backyard.

There's also a great performance be a young Fairuza Balk as Stephanie's daughter. A scene where she is teased and traumatically kicked out of the school play may be the childhood trauma which turned her into the Goth skinhead she's better known as in films like 'American History X.' Yes, that is Tobey Maquire as the son. Although IMDb and the open credits do no credit him. There's no doubt it is him.

I rented this movie not long after it came out, something to watch on a rainy evening. It was unusually compelling, Ms Powers delivers a performance exceeding anything I have seen her do before or since, not simply as she plays two separate roles, but 'involves' the viewer in what she is enacting. I am not a fan, but this movie alone would stop me from disparaging her work. The story moves along at a fair pace with the twists and turns of a much heavier thriller without the necessity for gruesome scenes. I have been trying to buy this movie for 15 years now and the guys that have it are keeping it, and I understand why.