Strictly Confidential

THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME INTERESTING PLOT TWISTS IN THIS FILM. BUT, SINCE THE FILM ESSENTIALLY REVOLVED AROUND SURPRISING THE AUDIENCE WITH THE PLOT TWISTS, YOU REALLY DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU SEE IN GREAT MURDER MYSTERIES LIKE "M," "THE MALTESE FALCON," "THE MIRROR CRACKED," "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS," & "I WAKE UP SCREAMING." I THINK THE LACK OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MAY EXPLAIN WHY THE PERFORMANCES WEREN'T ALWAYS AS ANIMATED AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN. HOWEVER, THERE WERE TOUCHING MOMENTS FROM THE THREE MAIN ACTRESSES, SUCH AS WHEN JEMMA (ELIZABETH HURLEY) TALKS ABOUT HOW LEARNING TO COOK HELPED TO MAKE HER FEEL CLOSER TO HER LATE DAUGHTER, REBECCA (LAUREN MC QUEEN), & WHEN WE HEAR LAUREN MC QUEEN RECITING THE LETTER THAT REBECCA IS WRITING TO MIA (GEORGIA LOCK) BEFORE HER DISAPPEARANCE. AND THE MOST TOUCHING MOMENT OF ALL COMES WHEN WE HEAR GEORGIA LOCK EXPRESS MIA'S FEELINGS OF HURT & BETRAYAL AT THE WAY SHE HAS BEEN TREATED BY ANOTHER CHARACTER IN THE FILM. (I WON'T SAY WHICH ONE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE SURPRISE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM YET), AND, WHEN WE SEE MIA & THAT OTHER CHARACTER EXCHANGE GLANCES AT THE FILM'S END, WE GET THE HOPE THAT THE TWO MAY RECONCILE. IT ALSO GIVES US THE HOPE THAT DIRECTOR DAMIAN HURLEY CAN USE THE SKILLS THAT HE HAS DEVELOPED INTO MAKING MOMENTS LIKE THIS AS A WAY TO SOMEDAY CREATING A GREAT FILM.