The Place For The Latest Movie Reviews
Cast: Julie Benz, Brendan Penny, Natasha Calis, Tom Carey, Michelle Harrison, Jason Schombing, Dalias Blake, Jeff Pangman, Bruce McGill
Bank manager Michelle Estey (Julie Benz) has put her troubled past behind her, but when robbers take her and her daughter, Breea (Natasha Calis), hostage in their own home, the single mother is forced to steal from work to secure their survival.
In this high-tension Lifetime drama based on a true story, matters only worsen as the culprits label Estey an accomplice, her co-workers express uncertainty and Estey is snarled in a courtroom catch-22. Michelle Estey is a woman with a questionable past, a tough childhood who made something of herself. She is forced to take money out of a bank by 3 robbers who allegedly tie both her and her daughter with dynamite. After enduring this nightmare of an experience, when the thieves are found, they turn the tables on Michelle and accuse her of plotting the robbery with them. This is a made for Television movie so I wasn't expecting much but since the film was based off of true events I was looking forward to checking it out. The film has a great start that really packs a lot of tension and suspense but that all levels off as the film moves along and it becomes more of a drama than a thriller but I had no problem with that either. The film is based off the book, the memoirs of Michelle Renee. I never read the book but I am sure they changed some things for the movie to make it more "interested" for the audience but the one thing I kept thinking about while watching the film is how much the victim was harassed by both the media and the police. Pretty amazing and sad considering what this woman and her daughter had just gone through. For what it is I found the film to be interesting enough, I am sure many details were left out, at least it felt that way watching the movie but for being a Television movie I was certainly entertained enough.
If you're expecting a fast-paced thriller you are going to be disappointed but if you like movies based off true events I think you're going to find this one to be enjoyable. After watching the film you might want to read the book to get a more detailed account of what happened but the film at least does a good job at handing out the basics. The cast is excellent, Julie Benz does a terrific job playing Michelle and the supporting cast is excellent as well. You can order the DVD HERE.
Released by Image Entertainment