You know not to expect too much if you know if a film playing late on BBC 1 is a TVM but AS GOOD AS DEAD did at least have actors who have appeared in relatively successful mainstream movies , and even if you don't class Traci Lords as a mainstream actress at least you've got an opportunity to see what she looks like with her clothes on ! Saying that this telefilm has a very exciting premise of what happens if an act of kindness goes astray leading to all sorts of terrible fall-out . As a couple of people have already mentioned this would have possibly worked much better as a cinematic release or failing that a thriller made by HBO . Unfortunately seeing as it's marketed more for woman who have no interest in what's on the mid week sports channel the TVM pulls its punches
But it's the lack of credibility that ruins the potential . Okay Nicole just happens to bump into Susan outside a nightclub and they become instant best friends so much so Susan lets Nicole have an operation via her medical insurance . This is one of those plot setting sequences where the audience aren't supposed to think about so that can be forgiven since most movies have this type of pre-destination , for example think how the alien from ET just happens to be found by Elliot the only friendly human he's likely to meet on Earth . But what is far less easier to forgive is the way Susan reacts to the situation or the way other people react to Susan who despite having no money or access to money can afford bus and taxi fares around town . Susan shows photos of people in a hospital and sits down at a computer but no one ever gets suspicious about her behaviour or motives , and if Nicole was able to walk into any club or attend any party doesn't that mean she has a large network of associates ? If so how come no one seems to have noticed she's disappeared . Perhaps the most unlikely aspect ( IMHO ) is that while Susan is shown at the start of the movie as being a conservative dresser she then has no qualms about dressing like a slut later on . Would a woman who wears trouser suits be the sort of person who wears thigh lengths boots and a belt masquerading as a skirt ? Yeah I know you've got to turn off critical facilities when you're watching this type of telefilm but these plot twists are irritating if not unconvincing , and what makes it worse is as I previously stated is that the premise itself showed a lot of promise
But it's the lack of credibility that ruins the potential . Okay Nicole just happens to bump into Susan outside a nightclub and they become instant best friends so much so Susan lets Nicole have an operation via her medical insurance . This is one of those plot setting sequences where the audience aren't supposed to think about so that can be forgiven since most movies have this type of pre-destination , for example think how the alien from ET just happens to be found by Elliot the only friendly human he's likely to meet on Earth . But what is far less easier to forgive is the way Susan reacts to the situation or the way other people react to Susan who despite having no money or access to money can afford bus and taxi fares around town . Susan shows photos of people in a hospital and sits down at a computer but no one ever gets suspicious about her behaviour or motives , and if Nicole was able to walk into any club or attend any party doesn't that mean she has a large network of associates ? If so how come no one seems to have noticed she's disappeared . Perhaps the most unlikely aspect ( IMHO ) is that while Susan is shown at the start of the movie as being a conservative dresser she then has no qualms about dressing like a slut later on . Would a woman who wears trouser suits be the sort of person who wears thigh lengths boots and a belt masquerading as a skirt ? Yeah I know you've got to turn off critical facilities when you're watching this type of telefilm but these plot twists are irritating if not unconvincing , and what makes it worse is as I previously stated is that the premise itself showed a lot of promise