THE LOVE OF HER LIFE/A WOMAN'S RAGE (TV movie) 2008
2.5 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 3:36 min
BASIC PLOT:
Allison Hagan (
Cynthia Preston) has a hard time letting go of things. She had a hard time letting go of her father, when he ran out on her, and her mother, and she's having a hard time letting go of her ex, Brian Hagan (
Cameron Bancroft), who left her 10 months ago.
Brian has already moved on with someone new, and is engaged to be married. His new love is named Kathryn Brown (
Brandy Ledford), she's a widow, with one teenaged son, Scott (
Alex House). Kathryn and Brian seem to be living their best life as a couple, but Allison is convinced he was cheating on her the whole time they were together.
After many failed attempts to reconcile with Brian, Allison decides it's time for some payback. She can't let Kathryn steal the love of her life, and she can't let Brian wreck anymore women, because that's all he seems to know how to do.
Allison has a plan, and she'll eliminate anyone or anything that gets in her way. Watch out for a woman's rage...
WHAT WORKS:
*CYNTHIA PRESTON DOES HER USUAL GOOD JOB WITH WHAT SHE'S GIVEN
Unfortunately, even a decent actress like
Cynthia Preston can't save this terrible script from it's plotholes, pacing problems, and deus ex machinas.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*VOICE OVER IS A LAZY WRITER'S CRUTCH and this is the worst type of voice over - boring drivel.
*THERE'S NO CHEMISTRY BETWEEN CAMERON BANCROFT & EITHER OF THE WOMEN
Cameron Bancroft's performance is very rote, and unlike him. I know he can act in a melodrama, because he did a fine job in
Le Visage de l'innocence (2017). Maybe he's was just having an off week.
*KATHRYN IS NOT UPSET WHEN BRIAN DIES This is not a problem with the actress
Brandy Ledford, but with the script. I've seen people be more upset when their dog died. Kathryn is completely fine, and comforts "Jordan", like she expects a sister to be more upset than a fiancée. It's not believable AT ALL. A swing and a miss from
Mac Hampton &
Christine Conradt.
*THERE ARE PACING PROBLEMS There's only 30 minutes left to go, not much has happened, and I'm starting to get bored. There's no action, not even suspenseful build up, there's just... nothing happening.
*OH BROTHER... HERE COMES THE DEUS EX MACHINAS Police have had these things in their cars since the '50's, they are called R-A-D-I-O-S. They use them to call and check information (DUH!). So, when Scott's car "breaks down", and the police pull up and think he's stealing his own car, they would run his license plate, and his driver's license. Realizing the car belongs to him, and after verifying the car wouldn't start, they would have NO REASON to take him in. It could be considered harassment, or even wrongful arrest, ESPECIALLY since there is an adult family member there, waiting to take him home. Also, police are like everyone else, they HATE PAPERWORK! So there is NO WAY they are going to cause themselves a TON of trouble, for some kid with a valid excuse as to why he's missed his curfew by MINUTES. It's asinine to the extreme, it's insulting to the audience, it's a deus ex machina, and lazy work from
Mac Hampton &
Christine Conradt. They should both be ashamed of themselves for producing this kind of drek (and for ruining
Ken Sanders' fine story).
*THE MAIN PROTAGONIST IS A HATEFUL B*TCH
You should never root for the villainess in this type of melodrama, but you do, because Kathryn (the protagonist) is so unlikeable. She doesn't shed one tear for her fiancée, she's a clingy, smothering mother to her son, and she blows the littlest things out of proportion. When the viewer is hoping the protagonist (Kathryn) will get fired from her job, and then be killed, you've had an EPIC FAIL on your sorry attempt at a movie.
*CELL PHONES HAVEN'T SAID "OUT OF SERVICE AREA" SINCE THE '90'S
But these writers,
Mac Hampton &
Christine Conradt, seem to love using deus ex machinas, even though they could've just used their brains, and actually come up with a plausible explanation instead.
*ALLISON DOESN'T WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING JORDAN'S BODY Her fingerprints and DNA would be all over it.
*THE ENDING MAKES NO SENSE! Probation Officer Kingman (
Tyrone Benskin), who's been a hard ass to Scott the entire movie, suddenly turns into a snuggly kitten! Every mistake - forgiven! And let's not forget the suffocatingly clingy mother, who now suddenly understands her son, and fights for him. Why did these people change? Scott hasn't. Oh yeah, so we can have a saccharine, cloyingly sweet ending, THAT'S NOT BELIEVABLE. How could I forget?
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*This is a boring, irritating waste of a few hours. It's not enjoyable IN ANY WAY! I can't recommend this, even to fans of made-for-tv melodramas. What I will do is recommend,
Mauvaise influence (2012). It's a similar story (corruption of teenage son), but it's well acted and written, which makes for a much more enjoyable viewing experience.
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.
