Fatal Memories

I screened the Lifetime movie "Fatal Memories," and despite its hysterical opening and bizarre main titles (in what IMDb.com would characterize as "crazy credits," the names of the cast and crew appear as parts of pictures hanging on the walls of one of the two houses around which the action centers, and the director's name, Farhad Mann, is emblazoned on the roof in an overhead shot), "Fatal Memories" actually turned out to be a quite good film, a high-tension thriller with a provocative central premise. It opens in a scene in the home of Marjorie Parker (Elizabeth McLaughlin), a retired college professor with two adult daughters, attorney Sutton Roberts (Italia Ricci) and April Parker (Magda Apanowicz). Sutton breaks a prized bowl and, as she's picking up the pieces, she's alerted to a commotion from outside. The commotion is a fatal stabbing attack on her mom, and when she comes upon the body April is holding a bloody knife. April is arrested by police detectives Whitaker (Shauna Johannessen) and Martin (Michael Ryan). The arrest is filmed by nosy, obnoxious videographer and hacker Luke Conner (Ryan Bell, who's the usual sort of nerd-cute guy Lifetime's — and most other people's — casting directors like for parts like this), who posts edited versions on the Internet that make April seem both guilty and crazy. She's crazy enough that she's put in a mental institution for a year or so (the Lifetime credit reads "One Year Later" but one IMDb.com reviewer cited other evidence in the film that two or even three years had passed) until she can be adjudged legally competent to assist in her own defense so she can be tried for her mom's murder, and despite the incredibly obvious conflict of interest her sister Sutton insists on representing her as defense counsel.

Sutton is insistent that April couldn't have committed the crime, and in order to jog her memories she takes April to various locations associated with their family in general and her mom in particular in hopes that April will remember something that will exonerate her and enable Sutton to figure out who the real killer is. At the same time, mysterious attacks start affecting the family, and Sutton takes a lot of her anger out on Whitaker, who seems to be there whenever something embarrassing happens to the family. It may not seem like that much in synopsis, but as written by Verge, staged by Mann and acted by an excellent cast — especially Apanowicz, who makes April's confused mental state all too real; she really has us believing this poor woman's brain cells are tumbling like clothes in a dryer, and she never knows what she's going to do next — "Fatal Memories" is a gripping thriller, making us feel for the characters and keeping us in suspense even though, as noted above, there are really too few suspects for the mystery aspect to be all that mysterious. It's a brilliantly done movie and one hopes that Farhad Mann and Magda Apanowicz in particular can go on to biggers and betters!

Off to visit her mother's spectacular mansion, young lawyer Italia Ricci (as Sutton Parker) is about to receive the shock of her life. Out by the stately pool, Ms. Ricci discovers her mother has been knifed to death. Even worse, Ricci's 18-year-old little sister Magda Apanowicz (as April Parker) is kneeling over the body, with a bloody knife. For unfathomable reasons, the deceased professor's servants are all absent at the same time. Life can be tough, on a teacher's salary. White-haired stepfather Kevin McNulty (as Orly Chambers) isn't home, either. One year later, Ms. Apanowicz is released from the psychiatric hospital, in her big sister's custody, ready to stand trial. Of course, Ricci is going to be her sister's attorney...

The graphic "One Year Later" should probably read "Three Years Later" as Apanowicz celebrates becoming a "fully fledged adult" after about 20 minutes of running time and later states, "I'm 21." Apparently, she's in a hospital which ages patients three years for each year they are committed. This must be an incentive to get well quickly. Apanowicz' hair is always colored differently than Ricci's, possibly so the long-haired sister isn't confused with the short-haired sister. Nosey videographer Ryan Beil (as Luke Conner) has the best role in this confusing crime mystery, arguably. He explains it all at the end and states the murder occurred "Two Years Ago." First it's one, then it's three, and finally it's two. It's that kind of movie.

** Fatal Memories (2015-03-05) Farhad Mann ~ Italia Ricci, Magda Apanowicz, Kevin McNulty, Zak Santiago

This movie is in barely different from the typical Lifetime film: bland, unimaginative writing, boilerplate plot, uninteresting sets, boring directorial choices and mediocre acting. What "distinguished" this movie was the uncommonly obvious indications as to who the real perp is. You will know whodunit 15 minutes into this movie.

What keeps Lifetime movies so consistently bad? Are there no competent writers, directors and actors in Canada? That seems unlikely. Is it budget constraints? Maybe a movie a week makes higher budgets for individual films prohibitive. Beats me, but this movie is an excellent example of a film that did not have to be this bad.... or did it?

This was a very inexpensive movie with just a few sets. I thought it was interesting when they arrived at the sister's house it looked small on the outside and then the kitchen alone was Hugh! The script was very predictable and you spot the killer very early in the movie. My favorite was the male police officer who never said a line until the end of the movie yet he was one of the two detectives investigating the crime.! Parts of the story lines were very vague. Such as the dislike between the female officer and the lawyer. I must confess I watched the entire movie because I knew the ending had to be unrealistic and I wasn't disappointed!

FATAL MEMORIES (TV Movie) 2015 1.5 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 3:30min (lots to gripe about)

Plotlines are reminiscent of 11-year-old girls playing Barbies...

BASIC PLOT: Sutton Roberts (Italia Ricci) is trying to save her little sister, April Parker (Magda Apanowicz), from a life behind bars. A year ago, Sutton found April over the dead body of their mother, and it's been downhill every since. April spent a year in a mental hospital, and now that she's out, Sutton only has six weeks to prepare to defend April at trial. She also has to deal with Glenn, her weak, pathetic husband (Zak Santiago), Whitaker, a detective who holds a grudge (Shauna Johannesen), and Luke Conner (Ryan Beil) a member of the press who won't leave them alone. All this, and she has to prove her sister isn't guilty of murder. What else could go wrong?

WHAT WORKS: *NOTHING! NOTHING WORKS!

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *TWO SECONDS IN AND I'M ALREADY IN DISBELIEF... They wouldn't let some random guy with a camera onto their crime scene. Are you freaking kidding me?

*COPS WITH A PERSONAL GRUDGE AGAINST THE LAWYER OR CLIENT WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE CASE If not, the lawyer could use it at trial. Think OJ & Casey Anthony, those worked real well for the cops & prosecution, didn't they?

*I'M TWELVE MINUTES IN, AND THINK I'VE GOT IT FIGURED OUT, I hope not...

*THE HUSBAND IS A SELFISH ASS...I guess he forgot the part of the vows that go "for better or for worse". He's not likable to say the least, and I'm sick of seeing these kinds of jackasses in made-for-tv movies. Why would a strong, capable career woman be with a mewling, selfish, spoiled man child like this? Answer: SHE WOULDN'T! I'd love to see a supportive man in these types of movies occasionally.

*THE CAMERA ANGLES AND SHOTS ARE WEIRD AND SHAKY It's distracting to say the least...

*HERE COMES THE DEUS EX MACHINAS A tow truck driver wouldn't call the police, that's just lazy writing. But even if he did, why is the car still on the street, WITHOUT the tow truck driver? If he came to the scene, saw there was a problem with the breaks, as he was hooking it up to take it away, THEN he would call the police. But he's nowhere to be seen, so did he call BEFORE he got there? Why would a tow truck driver call the police, BEFORE he knows there's a problem? The whole plot device is stupid, with circular logic, EPIC FAIL!

*LAW FIRMS DON'T FIRE THEIR ASSOCIATES BECAUSE A CASE HAS BAD PRESS Her boss literally says, "control the press, or clean out your desk". WHAT? For one, this movie doesn't need anymore antagonists, for two, much like the tow truck driver, THIS IS A STUPID, WASTEFUL PLOT DEVICE! It doesn't build suspense, and her reaction is weak and pitiful, just like with her husband. This is not the type of reaction we expect from a woman who's been presented as smart and capable, which is the type of woman, most in the viewing audience would like to watch. Quite frankly, I'm disappointed in the two female writers, Roslyn Muir & Crystal Verge.

*WHEN APRIL IS ACCUSED OF ATTACKING GLENN, SUTTON WOULD NEVER ALLOW HER TO BE QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE Especially, since the one doing the questioning, is Detective Whitaker, who has a grudge against them both. Again, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

*SUTTON SAID SHE'S USED ALL HER PERSONAL SAVINGS ON "PRE-TRIAL COURT COSTS", LIKE WHAT?! Usually, that type of PRE-TRIAL money goes to scientific testing, or private investigators, but Sutton is using neither. So, where is all of her money going? They just keep saying, "court costs, court costs" which is meaningless. More nonsense, in a movie that's already full of it.

*THE POLICE ENTER A BUILDING, WITH AN ALARM GOING OFF, AND THEY BRING THE CAMERAMAN WITH THEM?!

Not only do they bring a civilian cameraman with them, but he has a cop behind him, with a gun drawn. So, we are supposed to believe they let a civilian into a potentially dangerous crime scene, where he can contaminate evidence, and get himself, or someone else, shot? Can you say lawsuit? Can you say tainted evidence? Can you say beyond ridiculous?

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *This movie reminds me of when me and my friends would play Barbies when I was about 11, that's the sophistication of the storylines. If this was supposed to be a suspenseful thriller, it failed miserably, and I cannot recommend you sitting through a banal series of missed opportunities. If you're a fan of Magda Apanowicz, I'd recommend Devil's Diary (2007), it's a fun, made-for-tv teen scream, that delivers. If you're a fan of Zak Santiago, I'd recommend A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006), a highly rated made-for-tv tear jerker. If you're a fan of Kevin McNulty, try For the Love of Nancy (1994) (a made-for-tv tear jerker), or any of his other made-for-tv movies. He's been in some good ones (but this is NOT one of them)! Try ANYTHING but this!

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.