A Little Thing Called Murder
Fast forgery without mistakes. Shoplifting under pressure. Effective body disposal. The ability to multitask various felonies. These are just a few of the "talents" that mother-and-son grifters Sante and Kenny Kimes possess. Based on shocking true events, this flick takes you into the dark, sordid world of this deadly duo, from their bizarre relationship to their heinous crimes. It's no surprise that two-time Emmy winner Judy Davis earned a nomination for this performance.
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- Cast:
- Judy Davis , Jonathan Jackson , Chelcie Ross , Cynthia Stevenson , Garry Chalk
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Reviews
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Best movie ever!
A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
It might be hard to believe this story if it wasn't true. For the record, I'd never heard of any of this until I watched this, nor have I read the book. I cannot comment on how close this stays to the actual events. I understand that this is a comedy, and I suppose I can see how some, maybe even most, would find it funny. Not a single thing made me crack a hint of a smile in this, but then again, I do not have a great tolerance for unbelievably irritating and obnoxious women, and apart from this featuring that one from According to Jim who's being so is her sole "joke"(not that that show has a lot of hilarity going on anyway... I digress), the lead is also portraying one such individual. I don't blame the actress. In fact, let's clear that up right away: The performances are spot-on, everyone is credible, and Davis does marvelous. I would guess that the behavior is close to that of the real Sante, and *she* is the one I have the real beef with. The plot is interesting enough, and well-told. Pacing is good. The editing and cinematography are nice. This holds mild violence, disturbing content and a little sexuality. I recommend this to those who like films about con artists. 7/10
Jonathan Jackson was the best thing about the movie. Judy Davis had the showier role, but it was Jackson who drew me in. Kenny's arc, from a teenager who tried to rebel against his mother but failed, to a young killer, to a broken man too pretty to last in jail, to a hardened prisoner finally coming out from under his mother's thumb, was epic. And Jackson's subtle, powerful performance actually made me feel empathy for what in reality is a convicted murderer. Now that's good acting.This kid is impressive. He led me through Kenny's transformation, from his rebellion to his capitulation and despair, and then to his rebirth into a killer, and final transformation into becoming a man, in a sense, by separating himself from his mother. The human and weirdly Oedipal undertones in this movie were fascinating.I enjoyed it.
This movie is absolutely hysterical!!!! An excellent film done in such a high camp style that you come away thinking that even if Sante Kimes is guilty, someone so FFAAAAAAABBULOUS doesn't deserve to rot in prison for the rest of her life.In fact, I have been searching the internet hoping to find a website devoted to their case, but there isn't one. Doesn't anyone ever entertain the possibility that they were innocent? It is possible. If it weren't, Sante wouldn't have lawyers willing to work on her appeals. In fact, I am a second year law student and want to volunteer to work on her appeals. It would be an amazing learning experience.And Judy Davis is simply incomparable!!! No Judy Davis movie is EVER a disappointment. She was amazing as Judy Garland and she embodied Sante Kimes in a such a believable yet completely entertaining way.
Judy Davis will certainly merit an Emmy nomination come the next time they hand those awards out. She is absolutely fabulous in "A Little Thing Called Murder."Despicable, insane, brutal are just some of the many adjectives that can be used to describe Miss Davis's brilliant performance as grifter Sante Kimes.This woman, who apparently was born to do evil, is everything you wouldn't want in a person. Manipulative, maniacal and just outrageous. Slapping her child and then blaming the security guard for it is just the tip of the iceberg.Killing just comes natural to Sante. Whether it's drowning or strangulation, she is up to the task completely.The worst thing that ever happened to her son was when she is released from prison after a 4 year stint of enslaving maids. She is back home to mold him into her evil ways and what a job she did. Kudos to the makeup artist for making Davis old and ugly with an almost matronly look that anyone might just sympathize with. That's of course until she opens her mouth. It's as if the whole world is against her, which of course is her basic trouble.Absorbing film. Judy Davis, you're one heck of a great actress!