A Face to Die For (1996)

Overrated

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Absolutely the worst movie.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I like this movie a lot. I watch it every time I catch it on. Good storyline...never gets old. Good cast. I love Yasmeen Bleeth & Robin Givens. There appears to have been a chemistry between them that made the friendship believable. There were some characters you loved to hate as well. I never get tired of these types of movies. This movie has everything you need in a good girlie movie. Makes you laugh, cry, swear, flinch and cheer all in 90 minutes. I would recommend this movie to all the women I know, and I probably have already. If I find it on DVD, it is a must purchase. Ladies, add this one to your libraries. There is another lifetime movie that is similar to this one in story line and title and I watched it the first time thinking it was this one. Turned out to be a good one also. That one was A Face To Kill For. I still think this was a good movie.

I'd watch Yasmine Bleeth do a toothpaste commercial, that's how "watchable" she is. Yet, she is a darned fine actress too. This is not a great movie by any measure, but is entertaining enough. Here Bleeth plays the main character Emily Gilmore, not very attractive, who is wrongly set up and sent to prison. During her prison time, and after her release, she has the benefit of cosmetic surgery which changes her looks completely, and seems to give her confidence a lift too. Naturally she is bent on revenge.This is almost exactly the way a 1998 movie with a similar name, "A Face To Kill For", with Crystal Bernard begins, although the credits for each movie list different writers. So I will assume it is just coincidental. The 1998 movie also differs significantly in that it is centered heavily on the horse racing industry, while this one involves the film and fashion industry. Plus other key differences.The bad guy in this movie is James Wilder who plays Alec Dalton, a crook at heart, and who is responsible for Emily's going to jail. In the meantime, he marries Emily's sister Sheila (Chandra West). Emly changes her name to Corday and, when Alec and she end up at the same event, Alec flirts with her, playing into her scheme. Robin Givens also has a key role as Claudia, Corday's assistant.My remaining comments contain SPOILERS. In the 1998 movie, counterfeit cash is used, plus secret audio taping, to get the bad guy (Doug Savant in a fine role) arrested and convicted of murders of family members who sought to expose him. In this movie, the two sisters end up in a hotel room with Alec, there is money in a brief case, but a struggle ensues and a gun with silencer kills him. The two sisters plead the three monkeys (hear, see, speak no evil) and get their revenge and a chance to get on with their lives.

I admit an affection for this type of film, where the ugly duckling returns to seek revenge on those who wronged her. I caught "A Face To Die For" on Lifetime. I'm not sure of its pedigree, but it's typical for that network, although better than most of their productions.Yasmine Bleeth was such a gorgeous young woman before some of her personal problems hit, and she's in top form here. In this movie, she's an ugly, scarred girl with a drunk mother and a gorgeous sister. Thinking a man is in love with her, she is conned into helping with a robbery, for which she is imprisoned. As anyone who has ever seen one of these films before knows, if you want the best plastic surgery, go to jail.The story goes from there. It's very entertaining, and it's always a pleasure to see the beautiful Bleeth.

Yasmine Bleeth is not very believable as a meek, quiet girl, but as her character evolves, the overacting seems to come to a close. As her character blossoms and changes, Bleeth doesn't seem to have to work as hard. I guess you just can't cast a "Baywatch babe" as an ugly, quiet character. It is simply too much of a contradiction. Once her character is transformed (not only in looks, but as a character as well), however, the movie takes a turn for the better. The plot line is wonderful. This is wonderfully written. A bit unrealistic, this movie still gets by because it's just that-a movie. This is a definite must-see for Lifetime TV viewers.