Can you believe it? Two movie reviews within a week? Well, dear reader, lest you think this is all I do, there is a method to my madness.  Putting it mildly, the month of October has been highly unusual for many reasons (my friends know why). I find that when stress begins to rise, I turn to several things to deal with that stress. Movies and writing are always a comfort to me. Thus, you are the recipients of this writing frenzy.

A few weeks ago, I was quite pleased to procure a few sometimes hard-to-find Sebastian Spence Lifetime films.  One of these I had not seen, and I decided that Halloween was the perfect time to have a private viewing party (that was interrupted by my daughter, my cats, my parents, and who knows what else). Thankfully, these distractions were minor, and I was able to spend a pleasant evening viewing this Lifetime movie. While there is no cute story attached to this film (can’t have it all), this was indeed one of the most riveting of his Lifetime films I have seen.

A former defense lawyer, now working as a divorce lawyer is asked to represent her best friend’s husband who has been accused of her murder.

My review:

When it comes to murder mysteries, I am almost always intrigued. I think they have been a favorite genre of mine since I first began watching Perry Mason, Columbo, and Matlock amongst other similar shows as I was growing up. There was always nothing better than trying to decipher “who done it,” and it was more intoxicating when I was able to figure it out. I have become quite skilled in that area in recent years, and all of that figures into this particular review.

I honestly knew very little about this movie except that it was a Lifetime film and Sebastian was in it (really, that’s all you need to know–I could stop the review here but I won’t).  I was even more intrigued when I discovered that this movie starred Linda Purl (of Matlock fame). So, a murder mystery, two exceptional actors (amongst others–all were sincerely brilliant), and a dark Halloween night. What could be better?

From the opening of this film, I was completely immersed in it. In fact, my daughter was trying to sleep and all she heard was my screaming at the television, “He didn’t do it!” She wondered what on earth was going on, so I told her to go back to bed. From that point on, I did attempt to keep my emotions in check.  I didn’t always succeed.

From the outset, I was convinced that Sebastian’s character was innocent. I didn’t have everything figured out, but there was no way he could have done it. He had to have been framed. And Linda Purl’s character, the district attorney, seemed like bad news to me. She already had plenty of suspicious activity in her career as it was. She was going to take this guy down.  I had only known Linda Purl as Matlock’s daughter on the first season of that show, and this was a bit of a departure for her in my mind. However, she played her diabolical character quite exceptionally.

As the plot thickened, I could not turn my face away from the action. Oh, except once.  As the prosecution was proposing various scenarios surrounding the murder of Devon Major’s (Sebastian) wife, the scene was reenacted. Generally, I have no qualms watching murders on screen unless they are extremely violent or gruesome.  And seriously, this particular reenactment wasn’t bad. In fact, I could have watched any other actor do it except Sebastian.  I have never had that reaction before so it surprised me that I turned away in disgust so quickly. It must have something to do with the friendship I have developed with him and the fact that he is such a nice guy.  Permit me to say that in those scenes, his acting was absolutely stellar as evidenced by my extreme reaction.

The very idea that his dead wife’s divorce attorney became his defense attorney added a layer to this plot that was baffling. I was not familiar with the actress who played this role (Vanessa Angel), but she was quite believable.   All of her interactions with Sebastian’s character and Linda Purl’s character were outstanding–definitely above the standard Lifetime movie fare. You see, dear reader, I have begun to watch several Lifetime movies since reviewing these fabulous ones that feature Sebastian. And by in large, his are tops (and that has nothing to do with my bias or friendship).  As I have been known to say on countless occasions, he thoroughly thrusts himself into every role no matter what. I do believe if one were to consult the dictionary for the definitions of the words believability, versatility, and heart, one just might find Sebastian’s name there. Or at least, it should be.

Now we come to the part of the review that I almost dread to tell you, dear reader.  I’m not going to divulge any of the mystery. All I will say is that there was a twist that so astounded both my mom and me, and I have to admit that the movie had fooled me completely. I’m not saying how I was deluded–just that I was.  My mom and I both realized it at the same time, and I was dumbfounded. And as devastating as it was to be proven wrong, it only made me adore this movie even more. And thankfully,  justice was served. I detest stories where the killer goes free.

To my more sensitive viewers, yes, you will find a minimal amount of profanity and an extensive bedroom scene, but neither were overly offensive to me. There was the typical amount of violence that one would expect from a murder mystery, but it wasn’t overly unsettling (except for the aforementioned scene).

In conclusion, this is the fifth Sebastian Spence film I have reviewed (there are six published, but one was not reviewed by me).  I have seen a total of four Lifetime Movie Films in which he was featured. In my most humble opinion, I probably enjoyed this movie the most of the four because it was so different. I grow extremely weary of films that have the same story told in almost the same way. Actually, with Sebastian’s films, I have yet to see that occur. While I enjoy his other Lifetime films, this one now occupies a special place in my heart. After all, it takes something highly unusual and amazingly special to prove this reviewer wrong.  And I couldn’t be more overjoyed that this movie did just that.

For more information about the film, click here.

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