POISON-PEN
Lethal Love Letter (my latest review) refers to a letter from a terminally ill wife to her husband's ex-girlfriend. I mean how unusual is that? And why would the letter tell said ex-girlfriend to get back together with said husband? Huh? What? Really?
Anyway, "Lethal" has a solid foundation for a good Lifetime network dweller. The problem is that you don't feel any kind of danger for the personas as victims. Lethal Love Letter is like the Romper Room version of a Lifetime thrill ride when it could be so much more. Sure the background music is ominous and people get quasi-murdered but it's just filler as far as I'm concerned.
So yeah, you wanna see "Lethal's" bad guy (played by Rick Malambri) appear more like a JCPenney catalog model than an actual villain? Nah, I didn't think so. And do you want to invest in a flick where the protagonist's job involves working on a homemade blog called Squirrel? Uh no.
Released in June of this year, touted as a mystery whodunit, and featuring a viable running time of 92 minutes, Lethal Love Letter is about a single businesswoman (Amelia) being harassed by an unknown dolt bent on trying to ruin her life. Amelia gets evil texts and emails along with bouts of home invasion throughout. As the viewer, you eventually figure out who is stalking her about 45 minutes in. Oh and what a bland, dry, and non-threatening stalker he is.
With editing that is choppy, characters who are wishy-washy with big shifts in tone, and a final confrontation that feels like theater play acting, Lethal Love Letter is a straight-up, mixed review for me. Heck, there was never a moment that grabbed my lapels or made me think bad thoughts. Lethal Love Letter as a cinematic lethal "weapon?" I think not.
Written by Jesse Burleson
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