Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

evening1 I'd remembered the "milkshake murder" of this case from the news so I figured I'd give this Lifetime movie a shot. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't great.I guess they were trying to attract a certain audience, but one element that ran distractingly for me throughout was the tender age of both the male leads. Weren't both the Kissels middle-aged when they were murdered? The talking-head format used throughout as if to conjure a documentary-type mood didn't add a great deal and eventually became a distraction. Also, these heads were not wearing makeup and sometimes it was hard to connect the head with the character in the story.The film left many important questions unanswered. Why did the Hong Kong-based Kissel put all that money into spying on his wife only to trust her in the end and drink the milkshake? And what led his wife to believe she could get away with his pummeling? She's given a lot of screen time but was left almost totally opaque as a character.The ending of the movie, involving the Greenwich-based Kissell, seemed an unclear afterthought. We needed more information to understand how a man with lots of enemies could end up dead -- with his trustworthy chauffeur being charged in his murder! If you don't mind a fact-based movie that raises questions but leaves many unanswered -- with a large dose of soap-operatic melodrama as stuffing -- this movie works OK as a distraction.

ekw60 It is par for the course that the convicted murderer gets demonised and her victim whitewashed, but I presume there was a lot more to their relationship than the movie portrayed. According to Nancy, both brothers were on Cocaine.As far as I could make out, the film was shot cheaply with mostly fixed indoor shots and stage backdrops. Not only did the film crew not even bother to visit Hong Kong (stock footage was apparently used) they didn't research what it is like to live in Hong Kong either.So as someone who does live here, let me put the record straight. Yes, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 but it has a separate jurisdiction rather like the US Virgin Islands. We do not use the Chinese currency - as displayed on Kissel's desk when he came home from work - we use the Hong Kong Dollar. Hong Kong is NOT an endless collection of Skyscapers like Manhanttan - its more like New York, with distinct suburbs. The Kissels lived in an airy apartment with sweeping views of mountains and sea.The producer obviously got his impression of Hong Kong jail cells from Mexican B movies. Totally wrong. There is no graffiti in Hong Kong cells - they are closer in comfort and design to Marine Corps boot camp blocks than anything else. Prison guards (a lot nicer than drill pigs) assigned to look after foreigners can speak English. As in the States, prisoners are given work assignments and recreation time to keep the them busy - they don't just rot away. The prison where she is located is in one of the most scenic areas of Hong Kong - but I don't know what her view is like.Oh - and all the lawyers were British - that must have confused a few. This bit is somewhat correct (there are also Chinese lawyers). Hong Kong was formerly a British Colony and UK citizens were permitted by the handover agreement to stay on in their jobs until retirement. In addition, the legal system remains British in character (Common law like the US) - not Chinese.The logo behind the judge is a ridiculous imitation of the Hong Kong Government Device - looks more like BP's logo.So I'm afraid I just couldn't look past the ignorance of the film makers and enjoy the movie.

edwagreen The film rapidly goes down in quality despite the interesting subject matter and some very good acting here.The story again relates to the time old adage that money is the root of all evil.The Kissel Brothers seemed to have had in made with their propensity for making money. Their lives took a turbulent path because of their financial success.Robert was the better of the two; of course, being a work-a-holic, it cost him his marriage and ultimately his life. His wife Nancy is brilliantly played by an up and coming actress. How she thought that she could get away with killing him is beyond belief.Andrew, on the other hand, who is played quite well by John Stamos, was hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. Embezzling from his own co-op building and others, he was destined to meet his end in the way he did.The individual flashbacks by those within the brothers orbit doesn't work well here. In fact, it makes the film uneven and disjointed at times.Nonetheless, this is an interesting film to view again due to the subject matter.

Syl I hope there will be another Kissel movie out there. I read two books about the Kissel Brothers. I felt that Robin Tunney gave the best performance as unhinged Nancy Kissel. You hated her one minute and felt sorry for her in the next minute. She felt like property than a wife. It is true that her father-in-law looked down upon his daughter-in-law from day one. The two hour film which is really only 90 minutes plus a few couldn't unfold the events that led to the downfalls of both Kissel brothers. Robert Kissel was the good brother who succeeded in the financial world and even landed a job in Hong Kong but was troubled by an unstable wife. Andrew Kissel played by John Stamos is the only other standout performance in the film. He is both troubled and devious in deceiving his investors of the actual losses. Their spouses aren't as memorable as Nancy and Andrew. Maybe they should have gotten together in the first place but it would be a deadly combination. Sadly, since it is based on the true Kissel story. I felt that there wasn't enough details but only hints of Nancy and Andrew's falls.The film comes across as disjointed with people like Hayley, Andrew's wife, and his driver giving a statements along with other Hong Kong wives who were expatriates whose husbands and never came home to the Parkview complex. Nancy's crimes were brought on by a combination of things and a culmination of despair and utter desperation. Nancy was tired of being Robert's wife. Robert tried to buy her happiness but nothing worked. She was miserable in Hong Kong and the only light was a cable guy in New England. The Kissels' sister spoke about maybe if she didn't meet the cable guy or that there were too many maybes. The tragedy of the Kissel family is well-documented in books. I felt sorry for both Nancy and Andrew who longed for happiness, love, and acceptance. Nancy felt out of place with her in-laws easily.