So much average

Purely Joyful Movie!

Great Film overall

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I think Jonathan Jackson as Kenny played the part to perfection; they both had a great chemistry b/w them as a sadistic son and mother, they played very well off each other. I always thought Jonathan Jackson should of made it BIG time, because he's a better actor than a lot of these other actors who keep getting all the movie roles. I would love for Jonathan Jackson to team up w/Clint Eastwood, and/or another BIG NAME director -- its time for this talented gem to shine. the movie was great, i feel bad for the families (of the victims) that came in contact w/these lunatics and ended up dead. Its a crazy world we live in.

Based on a true story, director Richard Benjamin and star Judy Davis (as Sante) nevertheless give this "Lifetime" TV movie a comedy treatment. It's even possible to view "A Little Thing Called Murder" it as a satire of psycho sexy criminal mother movies. Chewing the scenery like it's made of ham, Ms Davis devours her role. Angel-faced (the grown-up) son Jonathan Jackson (as Kenneth "Kenny" Kimes) is her main accomplice. He and the supporting cast stay out of the way and allow Davis and Mr. Benjamin to do their thing. We get why Mr. Jackson went south, but wonder about Davis' character. The subject isn't all that funny, but Davis certainly seems to be having fun. If you relish Davis, chances are you will too.****** A Little Thing Called Murder (1/23/06) Richard Benjamin ~ Judy Davis, Jonathan Jackson, Chelcie Ross, Cynthia Stevenson

And truth is definitely stranger than fiction.Richard Benjamin hit just the perfect note in making this story a campy comedy rather than trying to make it a serious study of what are serious crimes. I'm not sure that Sante's and Kenny's behaviors and crimes could have been portrayed realistically (I didn't see the Mary Tyler Moore version) and have the viewer actually buy into how Sante and Kenny really lived, particularly since these were mother and son crimes rather than husband and wife crimes.The entire production was a laugh riot simply because Sante's outrageous behavior was portrayed by a pitch perfect Judy Davis. Her portrayal of Sante's fainting spell in the courtroom wherein she managed to go down for the count while making sure to hold her wig in place is surely one of the most artfully orchestrated short scenes in film.When the film ended it was hard for me to believe that I'd sat rooted to the couch for two hours because it felt like only about 30 minutes had passed.For lovers of true crime and/or just general lovers of great stories and/or just terrific performances, this movie is for you. 10/10.

"A Little Thing Called Murder" is another TV movie about Sante and Kenny Kimes, the real-life mother and son con artist/murder team. The first film starred Mary Tyler Moore and focused mainly on the murder of Irene Silverman, the New York woman killed for her brownstone and whose body was never found. (Court TV also did a documentary on them.) In this version, the murder of Irene is at the end of the movie. Director Richard Benjamin takes us through the bizarre life of Sante, with each crime a new episode that begins with the title "A Little" - which is how Sante thought of her crimes - A Little Problem with the Maid (slavery), A Little Problem with the Check, etc.Now in prison, Sante Kimes must be in life as over the top as depicted by Mary Tyler Moore - and if you thought Moore was outrageous, wait until you see Judy Davis sink her teeth into Sante. The approach in this film is more of dark comedy, though much of it is quite shocking. Davis' performance can only be described as out there - and probably accurate. Sante thoroughly corrupts her young son, played here by adorable Jonathan Jackson, which makes his crimes and killings all the more horrible. She sets fire to the family home for insurance; she takes a test drive in a car and holds onto it for a year; her Mexican help are actually slaves; she shoplifts, and when caught, she hits her son and goes after the security guard; the two claim to the cops that the security guard slapped Kenny and leave; she hides her husband's death so she can clean out his Bahamian bank accounts; and finally, of course, the Silverman case. In real life, not shown here, Sante actually posed as Silverman, an 82-year-old, in order to sign some papers.Catch Davis performing "Santa Baby" with a boa and you'll know you've entered the twilight zone. She's a scream. The film is very well done, interesting, and intriguing. But don't look for motives or reasons. The writers deliberately didn't explore them. Sante is so nuts, though, one wonders if she hadn't lost sight of her original demons years earlier.