Amour, meurtre et mensonges

There seems to be several versions out there of this mini series out there between 2 hours 30 and 4 hours, the version i watched is i think the UK VHS version at 3 hours. From the very start this is a story that grips you and it helped my enjoyment of the mini series that i knew nothing of the sensational real life crime the movie depicts. Watched all in one go it does flag in places and does repeat and labour the story, however as it was intended to be seen in episodic format this most be forgiven. With a quite superb central performance by Clancy Brown with Sheryl Lee and Moira Kelly not far behind. It just drives home to me the depth of TV talent that never gets the recognition deserved or goes on to become major movie stars in the old sense. This TV mini series is very much worth watching and it does make you think about the power of manipulation.

Sheryl Lee (after Twin Peaks and other David Lynch films) is still beautiful, still a little crazy, and still worth watching. No one (other than maybe Michelle Pfeiffer and Michelle Phillips) have eyes that are as sexy and alluring as Sheryl's. Moira Kelly (long before she grew up and had a role on The West Wing) is believable and a little scary. Cynthia Nixon (long before Sex in the City) has not changed at all in the past 10 years. She has a presence about her that makes her, while not beautiful, very sexy and intriguing. Any performance by Tobin Bell (watch him in The Firm) is always scary, suspenseful, and very entertaining. He only has a small part in this film but you won't forget it. And Gerry Bamman also has a small, but effective, part. If you are a fan of Law & Order, you've seen Gerry many, many times. This film is not yet available on video or DVD but has aired several times on CourtTV. My rating is only a 6 overall but for suspense, it gets a 7 and for not being able to figure out the ending until late in the film, it gets a 9.

This movie holds your interest from start to finish. The whole time I am watching this movie I was just in utter disbelief that these events actually happened. Again, the truth is always much more entertaining than fiction. Worth a look see.

Although you won't find a lot of big names in the cast (perhaps that enhances the production!) this is a first rate true-crime drama. As the story unfolds we find that Brown is, as the judge states, "More scary than Charles Manson." The only problem I had with the entire production, was the script seemed not fully developed, characters dropped in and out without much of an introduction or explanation. Having read the book I was more easily able to follow the story. All said and done, however, this is a good one.

If this movie were not based on a true story I wouldn't have believed the plot. However, knowing it is base on truth I definitely would recommend watching this for a lazy afternoon movie! This is one truly dysfunctional family, starting with the living arrangements David had with his second wife, her younger sister and Cinammon (the daughter from a previous marriage.)

The character of Cinammon did a great job and made her role very believable. From the start when she confessed to the murder of her step-mother, all the way to the ending.

This is my first review so I am afraid to write too much as I don't want to give away too much information, but I do recommend it, especially for people that love true crime drama's! I hope this review is somewhat helpful.