I won't criticize the lead, Danica McKeller, too much. I feel she was convincing in the scenes early in the movie where her life is falling apart and the evidence continues to mount against her. I genuinely felt sorry for her. About halfway through the movie though, when her character arc goes from helpless deer in the headlights to spirited pro se lawyer, her performance starts to lose credibility for me.
Still, I was marginally entertained throughout, especially in some of the more ludicrous scenes that were unintentionally funny. Special mention goes to her lousy lawyer trying to assault her in plain view of the court, a bizarrely choreographed jail fight scene between Danica and another inmate, and a completely pointless testimony scene where a person from the accused's past shows up to strengthen the prosecution's case - only to almost immediately reverse course once Danica starts "grilling" her on the witness stand.
At one point I was hopeful the producers would surprise us with something interesting, like a multiple personality disorder plot where McKeller IS actually guilty and just can't remember (the movie seems to be hinting this quite often early on) or perhaps a more sinister plot development where the accused creates a sweet, innocent persona to mask her homicidal tendencies. (I held out hope this would be true until the very end, right up until the lame ending with the true assailant showing up in the hospital and holding our heroine up at gunpoint before the obligatory feel good ending where she finds happiness with a new man and reconciles with her daughter.)
P. S. And speaking of that new man, wth? I found the introduction of this character to be the precise moment where the movie loses its intrigue. Again, the movie was hinting something far more interesting with this character, as we only see glimpses of him throughout the early scenes where he seems be infatuated with McKeller to an unhealthy degree. So what payoff do we get? A lame explanation about how he was just interested in her case and didn't have the courage to talk to her. Really? Even more maddening, as soon as he opens his mouth you know he's going to fill that "perfect guy" arcetype that Lifetime movies are known for, his only purpose being to give McKeller the ideal man she so richly deserves. Yawn.
Anyway, I would check this movie out for the first half alone, after that it's all downhill.
Still, I was marginally entertained throughout, especially in some of the more ludicrous scenes that were unintentionally funny. Special mention goes to her lousy lawyer trying to assault her in plain view of the court, a bizarrely choreographed jail fight scene between Danica and another inmate, and a completely pointless testimony scene where a person from the accused's past shows up to strengthen the prosecution's case - only to almost immediately reverse course once Danica starts "grilling" her on the witness stand.
At one point I was hopeful the producers would surprise us with something interesting, like a multiple personality disorder plot where McKeller IS actually guilty and just can't remember (the movie seems to be hinting this quite often early on) or perhaps a more sinister plot development where the accused creates a sweet, innocent persona to mask her homicidal tendencies. (I held out hope this would be true until the very end, right up until the lame ending with the true assailant showing up in the hospital and holding our heroine up at gunpoint before the obligatory feel good ending where she finds happiness with a new man and reconciles with her daughter.)
P. S. And speaking of that new man, wth? I found the introduction of this character to be the precise moment where the movie loses its intrigue. Again, the movie was hinting something far more interesting with this character, as we only see glimpses of him throughout the early scenes where he seems be infatuated with McKeller to an unhealthy degree. So what payoff do we get? A lame explanation about how he was just interested in her case and didn't have the courage to talk to her. Really? Even more maddening, as soon as he opens his mouth you know he's going to fill that "perfect guy" arcetype that Lifetime movies are known for, his only purpose being to give McKeller the ideal man she so richly deserves. Yawn.
Anyway, I would check this movie out for the first half alone, after that it's all downhill.