Dangerous Lies
In the end the upright gets rewarded with peace of mind and more, while the greedy and unscrupulous ones get their just deserts.
Technical assessment: 3 ★★★✩✩
Moral assessment: 3.5 ★★★✬✩
CINEMA rating: V 16
NETFLIX rating: 16+
Financially challenged young married couple Katie Franklin (Camille Mendes) and Adam Kettner (Jessie Usher) work as caregiver and gardener respectively for the rich and kind old man Leonard Wellesley (Elliot Gould). Katie and Leonard become good friends and treat each other as relatives. When Leonard learns from Katie about their financial problem, he becomes very concerned. Unfortunately, Leonard mysteriously dies a day after he gave Katie her pay cheque for an amount way bigger than her salary. With no known family and without a will, the controversial death is subjected to investigation questioning the ulterior motive of the couple particularly that of Adam as theorized by police investigator Detective Chesler (Sasha Alexander). The case becomes more complicated by the surprise appearance of Julia Byron-Kim (Jamie Chung) who introduces herself as Leonard’s lawyer to execute the “will” designating Katie as sole heir of his wealth.
Dangerous Lies has a well-developed plot with a successful build-up of characters that somehow makes the ending predictable — but not quite. The dramatic premise of the main characters’ financial problems is fittingly established. The “dangerous lies” in the story are nuanced in the tensions created by opposites: Katie as diligent, responsible and ethical, in contrast to the self-interested and grasping character of Adam. Adding to the confusion is the couple’s passionate love for each other. The director did a good job in the suspense treatment of the film, making the lead characters appear as the potential villain themselves. This helps in engaging the viewers until the conclusion of the film. Lighting is appropriate and contributes in the effective delivery of some scenes particularly the darkness and brightness inside Leonard’s house. If you will just forget about some loose ends in the narrative, you will see that Dangerous Lies delivered without special visual effects, sophisticated technology in the investigation, or choreographed gun battles — it succeeded as a psychological thriller rife with deceit and manipulation.
There is grace in consistently living out strong moral values to the point that against your conscience even the closest person in your life (like your beloved husband) cannot influence you. This has been the scenario in the character played by Mendes. Nowadays when some “practical” people would choose material wealth over compassion for a human being, a person with innate kindness will still choose to be compassionate and not take advantage of a windfall despite the specter of unpaid bills. In any relationship like marriage it is important to stay open, honest, and true to one’s promise. In the end the upright gets rewarded with peace of mind and more, while the greedy and unscrupulous ones get their just deserts. — IBD
DIRECTOR: Michael Scott CAST: Camila Mendes, Jessie Usher, Elliott Gould, Sasha Alexander, Jamie Chung, Cam Gigande SCREENWRITER: David Golden PRODUCER: Margaret Huddleston, Stephanie Slack GENRE: Crime thriller EDITOR: Alison Grace MUSICAL DIRECTOR: James Jandrisch CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ronald Richard DISTRIBUTOR: Netflix LOCATION: USA RUNNING TIME: 96 mins
