Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
bkoganbing
Louise Lombard teaches science in a Florida High School and while on a field trip to the Everglades student Alex Esola steals a kiss from her. She reciprocated the passion just long enough to convince this kid she might have an interest. But no Lombard discourages Esola the best she can, but of course it ain't good enough. It doesn't take him long to start feigning an interest in her daughter.This film is along the lines of my favorite guilty pleasure trash movie A Night In Heaven also with a Florida locale. Esola is A number one hunk material, but the psychos always seem to be.If you'r taste runs to trash movies about white trash Dangerous Lessons is the film for you.
darkavenger77
Louise Lombard, a semi-recurring character on the popular show CSI plays attractive blonde teacher and Lifetime Heroine (LH) Stephanie at what appears to be a Florida community college but is supposed to be a high school. As the other review notes, unlike other Lifetime flicks made in Canada and set in Washington, this appears to have been made in Florida.The LH is an attractive and fit jogger, a 40-something wife that has a Lifetime Rebellious Teen (RT) daughter and a business obsessed husband.We see the Lifetime Psycho (LP) as a late entry to the LH's class. The LH complains to a co-worker about hubby, and co-worker says to spice things up. This gives us a chance to again see why Lifetime is not just television for women, as the LH is seen in a bikini and then tasteful lingerie. In what most guys would consider a plot hole, the lingerie-clad LH is shot down by hubby, who can't spend a few minutes with her, instead wanting to work. Someone, presumably the LP, is outside taking pictures through the open curtains.On the field trip to the Florida Keys (which is actually the far away Everglades), there is a poisonous plant. It looks like the other teacher is taking pictures of more than the wildlife. The LH chats with the LP, then from her motel room she is busted checking him out as he emerges from the water onto the beach. Within a few scenes he's kissing her on the beach but she puts a stop to it.The LP has a trailer trash mom who stereotypically is drunk in her trailer holding a liquor bottle.On her next jog, the LH is being followed by a car. The LH talks to her female co-worker from school and fesses up about the kiss. The co-worker says she'll transfer the LP to the other teacher's class.The co-worker soon finds a snake in her file cabinet and is bitten, and at the LH's dinner the doorbell rings and it's a delivery from psychos-r-us on the doorstep: The poisonous flowers from the field trip. Dad's line here was funny: OK. Nicole, what, are you dating a psychopath? The LP solidifies his psycho creds and we meet alky mom.The LH is then chatted up by the other teacher. He sent the flowers. The LH is poisoned by the flowers, hallucinates and passes out. When she wakes up, the police via a detective are involved. The cops searched male teacher's office and found one of the poison plants, so he's busted.The principal gives the LH some time off. She sees the LP parked next to her car and gets into his car, something any female teacher rumored to be involved with a student would do. He claims his mom's boyfriend beat him.RT then asks the LH for boy advice, she has a new boyfriend. The LH suggests they have him over. Hubby lost $300K so he's working hard to make it up. At dinner the new boyfriend is... the LP! Instead of busting him, the LH says nothing. The LP ends up inside the home alone. The LH goes after him. They end up in the bedroom and the LP tries to kiss her on the bed. She escapes and as the RT arrives convinces him to leave. She then has a pointless talk with the RT about staying away from the LP. What is the "R" in RT for if not to defy your parents? The LH talks to the detective. The RT is mad at mom and headed out, telling her not to wait up.Time for another bikini scene with the LH as we see a stalker watching her, and the stalker is now inside the home. Surprise! The stalker is the other teacher! He warns her about the LP and leaves. As he gets out of his car, the LP ganks him via knife. Body count: 1. The LP brings the body home to mom in the trunk of his car. Things develop as the co-worker calls the LH with info about the LP, and the LP calls the RT setting up a date with her.Definitely more psychos per capita than most Lifetime movies, as alky mom has pulled a shotgun on the LP. He takes it away and follows her into the trailer. No gunshot is heard.The LP meets up with the RT as the co-worker meets up with the LH. Turns out at his old school the LP had an affair with a teacher there. The LP has now bound & gagged the RT and makes the LH come to his home. The LH gets her Prius stuck and has to hoof it. Good thing she's a jogger. She finds alky mom in the trailer beaten but alive. The LH enters the stable and in addition to it having a room filled with photos and drawings, it is a black hole for time. It was daylight when she went in, but it is full night when she steps outside under a minute later. She sees the RT in a field and both are threatened by the LP and his shotgun. As is usual at this point, a lot of talking and no shooting. A minor fight ensues and James drops the shotgun. Alky mom finds it a convenient method to shoot him and fires as he is choking the LH.The usual sunny day Lifetime ending sees the LH, RT, and dad enjoying a meal, and hubby is no longer obsessed with business. They live happily ever after until the next psycho, and the LP is at a loony bin where there is an attractive blonde nurse. Be sure to catch the sequel, A Patient's Obsession, coming soon to Lifetime.Real movie score: 5/10 (higher is better). Lifetime movie score: 4/10 (higher is stupider).
phd_travel
There are some things that make this Lifetime student obsessed with teacher thriller slightly above average. There have been similar movies but this one is filmed by the beach in what looks like Florida unlike the many gray skied Canadian filmed Lifetime movies. The cast acts quite well and looks right for the parts. Louise Lombard, the British lead actress plays an attractive teacher. Refreshingly she isn't the predatory one. The student who gets obsessed with her is played by ALex Esola who looks suitably mentally off. Things remain mainly plausible till the end and scenes are there for a reason - no red herrings. At least the body count isn't high.
