this is a scam movie

Blind Trust

A taut Canadian thriller with convincing performances by Jessica Capshaw (daughter of Kate) and first-time director Louis Bolduc. Insurance actuary Cassie Stewart is found bleeding in a hallway. Upstairs, in her apartment, her roommate Diane Summers and her old beau Bobby Rose lie shot to death. An ambitious D.A. puts Cassie on trial for first-degree murder and asks for the death penalty. So begins a taut thriller that, unfortunately, unravels at the end. Her case is taken up pro bono by famed defense attorney L.G. Mennick and it looks like a slam dunk until mysterious evidence appears, forcing Cassie to go on the run, using her actuary skills to find the real killer. Capshaw is a much better actress than her mother, but she seems to only know one or two facial expressions. Art Hindle as Mennick is superb. The rest of the cast is serviceable at best. Bolduc keeps the suspense going, even with the tried-and-true "Day of the Jackal" close call with Cassie in a cafeteria a few feet from cops scouring the city for her. Where the movie fails is the ending. ***** SPOILER ALERT ****** Cassie learns that Mennick is the actual killer. He took her case so he could see what the D.A. had on him and to, of course, ensure someone else paid for his crimes. Cassie learns this and, in an act that defies explanation, calls detectives to let them know she's going to confront Mennick about it. She gets him to confess everything, but she records none of it. She is then led into a limo with some of Mennick's henchmen, who then pick up Mennick's assistant. Both the assistant Jerry and Cassie are going to be killed. A police chase ensues, some unnecessary tension is added, Jerry is shot and Cassie comes this close to getting her head blown off. Of course, the hunky detective (Chad Willett) saves the day. Jerry dies anyway. The D.A. puts Mennick on trial. His key evidence is a drawing of a necklace Mennick personally designs for Diane when she was his stenographer and, later, mistress. The original lacked his fingerprints, but Cassie tricked him into putting his prints on it during the meeting. Thus, no evidence exists to put Mennick at the scene of the murders. The fingerprint evidence is so flimsy an amateur lawyer could have it dismissed. None of Cassie's conversation with Mennick is recorded as evidence. She was put in harm's way for no reason whatsoever and poor old innocent Jerry was murdered in front of her. Despite all this, Cassie smiles when she sees Mennick taken away. Never mind that she got an innocent man killed, almost got the detectives killed and barely avoided getting herself killed. Even more mysterious is why Mennick's henchmen try to kill Cassie when they know the cops know they have her. But, that's the convoluted ending that does in every good thing this movie set in motion.

Liked this TV movie a lot, held my interest and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. Kate Capshaw does a fine job in her role of the accused. Plots thickens as the end nears, watch closely! I enjoy mysteries on TV, especially mysteries that are not too obvious. Lifetime TV features many movies that are mysterious, but not necessarily good mysteries. This movie meets the definition of a good mystery, with lots of subplots coming to the surface as the story unwinds. Kate's character is unjustly accused and the audience must help her figure out where the problem is, and help her to correct it. In the end, Kate's character is redeemed and all ends well for her.

***SPOILERS*** Overplotted as well as far fetched murder thriller that has pretty insurance adjuster Cassie Stewart on trail for her life in the murder of her best friend Diane Summers and lover Bobby Rose. As things turned out for Cassie she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when she showed up in her apartment, that she shared with Diane, to not only find Diane and Bobby shot to death but end up with a brain concussion by having her skull slammed into the doorpost by their murderer! With prosecuting attorney Rolly Wycker seeing his chance to get himself elected as the city's next District Attorney he's determined to have Cassie not only convicted for murderer but have her sent to death row and get executed. This in order, as Wycker once said publicity, to make death row, by having a white woman on it, look like a cross section of America. Without even asking high priced defense attorney L.G Mennick takes Cassie's case Pro Bono in seeing the free publicity in it. Mennick together with his assistant Jerry Pratt makes a mockery of Wykers attack, in his cross-examination, strategy in showing that he in fact, despite his showboating in the press, has absolutely no case against his client Cassie Stewart. It's just when it seems that a verdict of innocent for Cassie is a slam dunk a number of things unexpectedly pops up at the trial that boomerangs against her! One being that she in fact was having a romantic relationship with the murdered Bobby Rose that she and Mennick denied. And even worse Cassie was also in possession of a diamond necklace that Bobby gave as a present to Diane with her initials carved in it! ***SPOILER ALERT*** As Cassie starts to realize that she's somehow being set up to take the rap in the Daine Summers/Bobby Rose double murder she flies the coop and becomes a fugitive from justice. Using her analytical ability as an insurance adjuster, or odds maker, Cassie slowly uncovers the truth behind Diane and Bobby's murder. A truth so shocking and unbelievable in that she was unknowingly targeted to take the blame or it right from the very start! By someone who had not only murdered the pair but who later had carelessly, like the WWII saying loose lips sinks ships, implicating himself in their murders! And with Cassie now knowing who the murderer is she's in far more danger in him, or is henchmen, murdering her then in the law catching up with her!

It is gripping. Great story. Clever dialogue. Superb casting. Surprise ending. Jessica Capshaw and the actor who played her lawyer were totally believable. My husband and I often find crime stories so convoluted with details that it is hard for us to comprehend or to keep up with it. This was easy for us to follow and if it hadn't been for commercials, we would never have left the television! The camera shots were perfect for the drama and the whole story was paced just fast enough to keep us glued to the screen. Would love to watch another film by the same writer. Actually, this would be a great pilot for a series. Fran Watson Richards

Cassandra "Cassie" Stewart loves her job of being an actuary. In this thriller, she uses her acumen in examining the odds to extract herself from one pickle after another. Cassie had just connected with a new boyfriend, Bobby, when she walked into her apartment to find Bobby and her roommate, Diane, murdered. Then, Cassie herself is conked over the head. She is subsequently arrested for a double homicide and must use all of her resources to prove her innocence. Cassie is aided by a superstar attorney, L. G. Mennick, who proves to be a slimy power broker. Cassie is also linked up to police detective Rudy Schatz, who senses that Cassie was framed for the crime. The film offered an incisive appraisal of the police, the legal profession, and the courts. In all three of those venues, Cassie finds herself enmeshed in a lethal cat-and-mouse game. The fast-moving, well-photographed film gets an additional boost from the fine performance of Jessica Capshaw as Cassie. There is a confidence about her character that always seems to keep the odds in her favor in prevailing against a corrupt system and a lawyer out of hell.

Incendo media specializes in quickly shot, low-budget TV dramas with convoluted plots and has-been actors. But... This shot in Montreal (standing-in for New York, I guess...) crime drama is above their usual crop. Louis Bolduc, the director, could very well be the guy to save this segment of the entertainment industry by cleverly giving these quickies a bit more production value than the budget can afford and by getting decent actors who can give their best despite the obstacles of a tight shooting schedule and zero rehearsal time. Jessica Capshaw is believable as a cute and clever young woman who must use all her wit to get out of a murder accusation. She may not be as drop-dead gorgeous as her mom was, back in her "Temple of Doom" days, but she can surely act circles around her ! Veteran Canadian TV actor Art Hindle has fun with the role of a charming media-loving lawyer who has a few tricks and surprises up his sleeves. Overall, you won't get the feeling that you've lost your time watching this drama, even if it doesn't "feel" like a big movie. Let's see what Louis Bolduc serves us next !