I suppose it's appropriate to place the "spoiler" label on this, however, there is little mystery to this typical Lifetime movie, and even less to "spoil."
Am I wrong, or are there a seemingly endless supply of these flicks which have the conniving best friend/neighbor who wants her friend's husband, children and life? And might these films have as a purpose, almost as primary as their weak plots, the providing of work for Canadian actresses?
Anyway, some of them, like this one, are: first, so predictable, pedestrian and even "corny," that they have a weird fascination for these qualities; and, second, while first-rate, big-screen films can be like having a gourmet dinner - these are like scarfing a large bag of chips, somewhat addictive while your stuffing them, but pretty much unsatisfying in the end.
Here we have Beth, whose friend, Claudia, is creating all sorts of deceptive hi-jinks for her, and others, including placing vodka into her insulin vial, so everyone - especially the husband, Kurt - believes she is a sloppy drunk, and reaches the inevitable point where he suggests she might have to leave the family. Along the way, Claudia runs-up nearly a 30-grand tab on an internet gambling site, which Kurt, of course, ascribes to a drunken stupor on Beth's part. (Earlier, the doctored shot which Beth administered to herself resulted in her being stopped by the police, charged with DUI, and cuffed and booked with police photos and all.)
Along the way, Claudia also drugs the young man who happens upon her scheme, doping the beverage in his truck, and causing a head-on collision with a semi.
Her shenanigans make her busier hassling people than a Mafia button man - plus she has to maintain a facade with Kurt, cooking and helping with his son, and planning her takeover of the household - distractions the button man wouldn't have. She pursues a nefarious schedule in perpetrating her evils, accomplishing in a matter of a few minutes or perhaps an hour or two, tasks which would take days to execute in real life. (Oh, Claudia is also Godmother to Beth's son.)
Throughout all of this, Kurt, a supposedly successful, bright businessman, is totally-clueless. The guys in these films are always clueless, look as though they've overdosed on Valium, and bring the adjective "INSIPID" to new heights. Here, though, Kurt has some excuse for part of the film, since along the way, Claudia slips him a mickey, too.
Of course, the inevitable revolver is brandished at the end, and the final resolution, as in many of these flicks only takes a couple of minutes, and it ends quickly with about as much satisfaction as the fore-mentioned bag of chips.
But, again, it is sort of fascinating, even with its absence of true plot, or the creation of an iota of empathy or sympathy for the characters.
One * for quality/plot and two for fascination.
Am I wrong, or are there a seemingly endless supply of these flicks which have the conniving best friend/neighbor who wants her friend's husband, children and life? And might these films have as a purpose, almost as primary as their weak plots, the providing of work for Canadian actresses?
Anyway, some of them, like this one, are: first, so predictable, pedestrian and even "corny," that they have a weird fascination for these qualities; and, second, while first-rate, big-screen films can be like having a gourmet dinner - these are like scarfing a large bag of chips, somewhat addictive while your stuffing them, but pretty much unsatisfying in the end.
Here we have Beth, whose friend, Claudia, is creating all sorts of deceptive hi-jinks for her, and others, including placing vodka into her insulin vial, so everyone - especially the husband, Kurt - believes she is a sloppy drunk, and reaches the inevitable point where he suggests she might have to leave the family. Along the way, Claudia runs-up nearly a 30-grand tab on an internet gambling site, which Kurt, of course, ascribes to a drunken stupor on Beth's part. (Earlier, the doctored shot which Beth administered to herself resulted in her being stopped by the police, charged with DUI, and cuffed and booked with police photos and all.)
Along the way, Claudia also drugs the young man who happens upon her scheme, doping the beverage in his truck, and causing a head-on collision with a semi.
Her shenanigans make her busier hassling people than a Mafia button man - plus she has to maintain a facade with Kurt, cooking and helping with his son, and planning her takeover of the household - distractions the button man wouldn't have. She pursues a nefarious schedule in perpetrating her evils, accomplishing in a matter of a few minutes or perhaps an hour or two, tasks which would take days to execute in real life. (Oh, Claudia is also Godmother to Beth's son.)
Throughout all of this, Kurt, a supposedly successful, bright businessman, is totally-clueless. The guys in these films are always clueless, look as though they've overdosed on Valium, and bring the adjective "INSIPID" to new heights. Here, though, Kurt has some excuse for part of the film, since along the way, Claudia slips him a mickey, too.
Of course, the inevitable revolver is brandished at the end, and the final resolution, as in many of these flicks only takes a couple of minutes, and it ends quickly with about as much satisfaction as the fore-mentioned bag of chips.
But, again, it is sort of fascinating, even with its absence of true plot, or the creation of an iota of empathy or sympathy for the characters.
One * for quality/plot and two for fascination.
