Product: To Die For (1995)
Rating: 2.0
Lust and Greed Lead to Murder
To Die For, 1995 filmThe story begins in winter, snow is on the ground. A blonde weather girl is front page news. What did Suzanne do? Suzanne talks as if introducing strangers. Others are interviewed, like some news show after a tragedy. [These interviews seem embarrassing, don't they? Do they seem real?] Does the interest of these people in show business seem phony? That gossip seems fake to me. Is TV news just part of show business? The story shows Suzanne's entry into television. She talks to a high school class. Some students volunteer for extra-curricular activities. The story moves on with many events that provide a background to this drama. [Note the differences in their backgrounds. This is a warning to anyone who would judge a person on looks alone.]Suzanne has an affair with a male student, asking him to do something so they can be together. He agrees, and makes a purchase. While Suzanne gives the weather forecast her husband runs into bad luck at home. [No burglar alarm?] When the body is discovered the police start their investigation. Suzanne takes her dog to the funeral. [Believable?] Those students learn of their changed circumstances. The police investigation continues to gather clues. A metal revolver can be located with technical devices. The usual ruses gets the suspect Jimmy to talk. Lydia talks to Suzanne in the mall. "I thought we were friends." Police entrapment? She blames Jimmy and Russell of being drug dealers! [Wouldn't a lawyer tell her not to talk about the case?] Will Suzanne meet a friendly stranger? Yes.What chance of success did Suzanne have in show business? She did not come from a wealthy family who could pull strings for her. She had no regular college degree or a lot of experience in TV, or talent in acting. I don't think she would ever be a success in big-city TV. Notice the life-span of people doing the weather reports on TV? Is it the fickleness of the TV audience? Can a job be ended when there is a change in management? A new manager may hire his own people and fire most of the others.A better writer or director would have made a better movie. The one big problem is Suzanne's character. Could she have such a diabolical personality without anyone noticing it in her small town? This movies seems to mock small town people. This story seems to be loosely based on a real crime where a high school teacher recruited students to kill her husband. Wouldn't this relationship be noticed in a small town? When a spouse is murdered the surviving spouse, boyfriends or girlfriends become the prime suspects or "persons of interest". Some experienced detectives can notice something funny when talking to these people. Serial killers or organized crime gangs usually have no known connections to the victim that the police can examine, unless they find some clue. [At least that is how it works on TV crime shows.]