A Face to Kill for

I.m a true "classic" film buff, so I was really surprised at how watchable this was And watchable is the ultimate test of a film. Well-crafted mystery-drama,few cliches,and horses and horseracing are more interesting than the usual drug/gangster themes.Not a "great" film, but enjoyable,worth watching.

I was surprisingly engaged by this TV movie which I caught one rainy Saturday on Lifetime. Once I started watching it, I was unable to stop watching. Crystal Bernard is very effective in her role as a woman betrayed who then tries to get her life back on track. The rest of the cast is fairly good as well though it was disappointing to me to lose Barry Corbin's character so early. As the other reviewer noted, there are some unique plot devices in this movie which make it stand above the average fare on television. In particular, the horse racing story line is most welcome. Overall, I would recommend this movie. It is worth the investment of your time.

Okay, so here we have yet another Crystal Bernard vehicle in which our heroine is disfigured (does some fairly good acting in the early part of film) who gets framed by her husband and sent to prison. Prison toughens her up and she gets into fights with fellow inmates and, you got it, gets even more disfigured. But, alas, our heroine gets that plastic surgery and a new face and after prison release goes after her husband who has since re-married. From there on it goes downhill and Miss Bernard turns in some bad acting. Typical story? You got it. Nothing new here. The horses look beautiful.

Unfortunately, Miss Bernard continues to wear these short skirts, that make her look cheap, and still sports that mop of hair that is annoying to look at. Won't someone suggest that she get a haircut? Is this lion's mane look supposed to be attractive? It went out in the 40s when the likes of Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake held the glamor department. The one redeeming value in this soap opera is the appearance of Doug Savant. I wonder why he always gets the villain roles? He's a good looking guy, who I remember did another villain in MASQUERADE even opposite the handsome Rob Lowe. This is not the best in TV drama. Saw this on Lifetime TV. But worth watching Savant. Even though there's a bad torture scene upon some of the horses.

Sure it follows the typical TV movie of the week formula (Disfigured woman thrown in jail for a crime she didn't commit, gets her face fixed and seeks revenge on those who wronged her), but it is actually pretty good.

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Crystal Bernard is a wonder as Allison, a young woman that was disfigured in a car accident, is thrown in jail for a crime that her husband was responsible for. While in jail, she gets her face fixed, and she goes after her(now ex)husband. Doug Savant is your typical TV villain, so don't expect something new. Some of the actors have incredible cliché accents (Like they watched "Gone With The Wind" and learned that way), but otherwise, it's a good movie.

This movie is a remake of A Face To Die For, made in 1996 and starring Yasmine Bleeth. Some facts are different but it is still the "scar-and-revenge" theme. Both movies though are enjoyable watches.