The Robber Bride (2007) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Evans

Writers:

Margaret Atwood (novel)
Tassie Cameron (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 March 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Journalist and seductress Zenia Arden has disappeared. When her finger turns up on the shores of Lake Ontario...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Courtney Fitzpatrick	...	Paula Andrews
Madison Fitzpatrick	...	Erin Andrews
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matt Baram	...	Lawyer
Michael Bradley	...	Paddock Bartender
Michael Bradley	...	Paddock Bartender
Greg Bryk	...	Henry
Wendy Crewson	...	Roz
Shawn Doyle	...	John
Brandon Firla	...	West
Ryan Hollyman	...	Bryce
Susan Lynch	...	Charis
Joe MacLeod	...	Absinthe Bartender
Tatiana Maslany	...	Augusta
Juliette Nurse	...	Boardroom Staff
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Zenia
Diana Pavlovská	...	Alice Reno
Amanda Root	...	Tony

Runtime:

Canada:89 min (Ontario)

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Shaftesbury Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (2007) (TV)

Clever, well acted and produced but curiously uninvolving

I found myself comparing this to another psychological thriller I had seen recently - CACHE aka HIDDEN - much to the disadvantage of THE ROBBER BRIDE.

The film begins with a scene that makes the viewer expect an investigation a la CSI. Instead it is a single individual investigating a team of trio of women for the possible murder of a woman they all knew in their university years. John's character and personality seems to disappear as we learn more about Zenia the possible woman and the women, Charis, Roz and Tony.

None of the latter women engendered any of my sympathy, though the story argues (or does it?) that all three have been victimized by Zenia, who unerringly detects how best and how deeply the three can be hurt.

I found the choice of Mary-Louise Parker interesting in that she resembled a younger, more feminine Margaret Atwood.

I imagine that I missed a considerable amount of subtext because I have not read much Atwood, and as this is a fairly recent work, it very likely reiterates themes that she finds important.

I edited the commercials out of the film, and was left with slightly less than 89 minutes; so I must applaud those who sat through the live broadcast of THE ROBBER BRIDE, often enduring lengthy 4 minute or longer commercial - I found it incredibly annoying to fight off the numerous pop ups, usually for forthcoming programming, to the extent that I couldn't read or digest the all important closing credits!