Cheating raises everyone's premiums...even at Christmas
2005, USA, Colour, 93 minutes
Directed by Adlai Frankenheim. Written by Susan Ho
Starring Lisa Laticia, G Minx, various children
Billy Page has a dilemma, it’s the week before Christmas but he can’t afford presents for his many adopted orphan children! Driven to desperation he concocts an elaborate insurance scam that enables him to provide for his family. So far so good. Sadly though the initially promising scenario turns out to be the setup for a morality play on the virtue of honest dealing and taking responsibility for one’s actions. The sweet, lisping plea of the cutesy child, begging father to not sacrifice his eternal soul for material satisfaction frankly just grates, and if that wasn’t bad enough its followed by a courtroom redemption speech by Billy that would make even the most sanctimonious of us be violently sick.
This is what happens when the Moral Majority, the Business Council of America and various law enforcement agencies combine to co-fund film production in an attempt to salvage reputations in a post Enron/Credit Crunch business environment. To the credit of the Director he must have realised his production was irrevocably tainted, how else can one explain the vandalised photo of President George W Bush in the DA's office at the 64th minute, and subsequent attempts to contact Adlai Frankenhim have failed due to it apparently being a made up name.
Reviewed by Juan Incognito
