Madre per soldi

Karen Cliche in a cliched film - who would have guessed, right(?)

So this is the story about a career-minded woman, Jessica (Cliche), who won't let anything stand in her way. When her husband is arrested for fraud she decides to track down her daughter, Allison (Martin). Allison has been raised by her father and his wife after she was born due to her father's affair with Jessica. Now that her father has passed away Allison and her sister, Sydni (Blanton), are the sole inheritors of his will... except that Jessica has other plans.

Serge does try to add something new to an old story, though he unfortunately also throws in some cliches - and well-used ones at that, which deters a little from his good work. Also, some of the narratives are a little heavy-handed and unrealistic.

Though what lowers the film most is the direction. Conradt sticks to a pretty tried and true formulaic structure with the filming. It wouldn't have hurt to add a few different camera angles and possible some nice pans of scenery and location. Also, a little bit of lighting to add atmosphere and mood would have gone a long way after all this is a psychological thriller.

The one bright side to this movie is Maddy Martin who does a good job with her character. She could be one actress to keep an eye on. It's just a shame that the rest of the cast isn't up to her standard, especially Cliche who is relatively wooden throughout the film. Though she has a striking face and a decent body, I just cannot understand why the men Jessica is with would find her attractive enough to bed, because, characterwise, there's nothing attractive about this woman.

All in all, I'd recommend watching any of the many other TV movies of this ilk out there as they are probably more enjoyable.