Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
BroadcastChic
Excellent, a Must See
Gutsycurene
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Iseerphia
All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.
evening1
I wasn't surprised to see that Rob Lowe soars here as prosecutor Jeff Ashton, who went head-to-head with Jose Baez in the notorious 2012 trial of Casey Anthony.This film portrays the Florida single mother as a manipulative liar who concocted her defense out of whole cloth, accusing her white-haired father -- seated in court every day -- of sexually abusing her as a child.Lowe is a very attractive man, but that doesn't detract from his believability as a state's attorney eager to win justice for a 3-year-old whom he said was killed because Casey wanted to party.Also excellent in this film is Oscar Nunez as Baez -- initially believed to lack the experience to argue a death-penalty case -- and Kevin Dunn as Casey's father, George. The older man comes across as a simple and sincere soul who tried to do right by testifying for the state.Ms. Anthony was eventually acquitted of killing her only child in a verdict that stunned many.Viewing this, I was struck by the inequality of burdens in this country between the prosecution and the defense. The state can't even bring a case unless it has enough evidence to justify a conviction. The defense can tell any story it likes, without having to prove a word of it. This is part of what makes America great. We trust that jurors will be reasonable and responsible. In this case, three words echo in one's mind -- Alas, poor Cayley!
rongan
One of the better made for TV movies about a real murder trial - very informative in so little time. My only complaint is the long and many commercials.I thought the acting was quite good. The actual woman prosecutor during her endless opening statement was quite boring (it's on Youtube). The actress who played her was not – maybe that was poor acting.After viewing it I could understand why it wasn't a slam dunk murder conviction.Also the movie showed at least two jurors glaring at the prosecutor as if they didn't trust or like them. I felt the same way.It's entertaining and moves along at a good pace. Watch it with an open mind and you might enjoy it.
Syl
I read Jeff Ashton's book and have seen most of the coverage on television. Sadly, the mixing of Jane Velez-Mitchell and Nancy Grace intertwined into the film here lost it's edge to me. I found the movie to be watchable. Kevin Dunn does a fantastic job as George Anthony. Elizabeth Mitchell is almost perfect as Assistant District Attorney Linda Drane Burdick. Rob Lowe is the star as Jeff Ashton but he doesn't resemble him at all. Oscar Nunez is surprisingly great as Jose Baez. I liked the fact that Casey's participation in the film was low-key. Most of the time it's the prosecution's responsibility to prove Casey killed little Caylee. Unlike the actual court case, we never saw the skeletal remain photos out of respect by the court. Here, I felt it completed the case. The woman who played Cindy Anthony was fine and adequate. We never see Mallory Parker. There was plenty of courtroom drama in the actual case. I was hoping to see the scene where Cindy breaks down while listening to the 911 calls. Of all the moments in the trial, it is something unforgettable and heartbreaking. Ashton's book was pretty sensitive to the Anthonys as a family and here as well. The idea of Cindy being prosecuted for perjury would add insult to injury. Cindy and George loved Caylee, their beloved granddaughter. Her loss is unbearable but they keep moving on. Finally, I would have liked to have seen what happened to those involved. I didn't stay to watch behind the scenes. Still for those of us, less Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell. I followed the case quite closely myself and can never understand how somebody like Casey ended up this way. The film also misses key players like her brother, Lee Anthony; Leonard Padilla; and others involved in the case.
dutchchocolatecake
The characters cast in this movie do NOT match the real life personalities whatsoever - not in looks OR demeanor. None of them actually resemble the people I saw on television for the countless hours this case was covered.For example, George Anthony was not a chubby, pathetic little man at the mercy of everyone around him. No, he was a tall, fit, intelligent ex-cop that was often forceful when he took the stand. I don't expect dramatization to be perfect, but come on.This probably deliberate; as this movie is based off of the perspective of Jeff Ashton, the prosecutor of this case. It's interesting that the people who have made money off this case are the ones who do the most to stir public outrage. He admits that is his real goal: "When I'm done, she will be the most hated woman in the country." This tells me he doesn't care about justice for Caylee, he wants to instigate a public lynching. "I'm a believer in Karma," he says, so in the event a vigilante goes after Casey, he can deny deny deny any responsibility in his part of the entire media circus.And that is what I find is most offensive, is Jeff Ashton's attitude toward this case and his own job. It's clear to me that he has no respect for the justice system, the court of law, nor to the jurors who took time out of their personal lives to serve their duty. Apparently his respect for the justice system extends only so far as the outcome results in what HE wants.And who *smiles* at a death penalty trial? Really? I don't care who it is on trial, someone's life is on the line. Surely a death penalty qualified prosecutor would find it in his conscience to appreciate the gravity of the situation, to take it seriously enough to give it the treatment of dignity it requires. He treats his job like a game - in the courtroom, in interviews, and in the movie.I'm not giving this movie a 1 just because I dislike Jeff Aston. I am giving it a 1 because this movie really is poorly done; and it resembles propaganda too much. The point of propaganda is to arouse a specific reaction - and that is what this movie was made to do. It was NOT created to give people a fair or impartial depiction of the events surrounding the death of Caylee Anthony. It was specifically created to pander to the perspective of a man who cared more about making the country hate Casey Anthony than doing his job well and prosecuting a case with professionalism and competency.Common sense would say that if you care about justice, then it wouldn't matter if the entire country hates Casey Anthony. That's just not what happened here, though.