Rating:
When I learned the 1996 Lifetime movie Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? (MMISWD) was getting a reboot, I didn’t understand why because despite its somewhat debatable cult status, MMISWD is the standard, cautionary love story Lifetime is known for in its programming, emblematic of its brand of storytelling. Then I learned James Franco is one of the executive producers and it began to make sense. The prolific actor is consistent with taking on interesting projects, whether it’s critically acclaimed like his Academy® Award nominated performance as Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, or made for the public’s amusement as ‘Alien’ in Spring Breakers. No matter what, Franco is seldom ever boring. So, I couldn’t wait to see how he would contribute to the new vision for this Lifetime movie.
Leah learns art can imitate life too well sometimes
Another aspect that piqued my interest is the decision by the MMISWD producers to switch genres altogether by adding supernatural elements. MMISWD isn’t merely a forbidden love story; it is also an erotic horror movie. Yet, what makes this remake compelling also makes it campy and cliché—something I’m not sure is entirely intentional. At times, it’s hard to tell where the light parody of the original movie begins and ends. The film’s director Melanie Aitkenhead, and film composer James Iha, conjure up a very seductive atmosphere that embraces the paranormal themes in the major plot points. Visually, MMISWD is compelling to watch but, at times, the poorly phrased dialogue interrupts the more intense scenes. Aitkenhead’s use of stylized transition shots and overlays between scenes with a view of the city reminds me of another vampire film, The Lost Boys.
That’s So 90s
The re-imagined story of MMISWD swaps the original dangerous, romantic relationship between college students Laurel (Tori Spelling) and Kevin (Ivan Sergei) with a supernatural one between Pearl (Emily Meade), a photographer and vampire, and Leah (Leila George), a very human drama student. The overall conflict is whether Leah will join the ranks of the undead with Pearl. It doesn’t help matters when Pearl’s band of homicidal vampire buddies pressure her to turn Leah into a “nightwalker.” The first half of the movie leaves little room for suspense by revealing the essential motivations and dilemmas for the main characters with complete transparency. I can’t help but feel MMISWD over-compensates its lack of story with sex. Franco has a cameo role as Leah’s theater professor, who leads her cast in the school’s production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Franco’s presence in front of the camera doesn’t salvage much of the movie; in fact, the majority of his screen time consists of him watching Leah perform risqué scenes onstage. There isn’t much to Franco’s role, which is a bit disappointing.
Sergei returns to MMISWD but not in the role one would expect
Although Spelling and Sergei appear in the movie—Spelling as Leah’s mother Julie, and Sergei as one of Leah’s college instructors, Professor Ross—the casting of these two original characters doesn’t save the made-for-TV movie from some of its pitfalls. There are several references to Stephenie Myer’s Twilight book series, which removes the edge of the movie’s tone. Perhaps it’s the intention of writer Franco and screenwriter Amber Coney to pay homage to one of the most popular YA series in decades; still, I couldn’t help but cringe when Leah makes an attempt at deconstructing the significance of Twilight and its relationship with teenagers and sex.
Even with the undeniable flaws of the film, MMISWD has a few standout elements that are worth noting. The cast’s costuming gave me flashbacks to high school; in some scenes, if you squint at the group of vampires who are part of Pearl’s posse, they almost look like they belong in the movie, The Craft. Then there is the soundtrack. Some people may recognize Iha’s name and his work with the musical group The Smashing Pumpkins. The music truly makes MMISWD feel more suspenseful; the main theme song is catchy, and I love the score during the scenes with Leah and Pearl. The music is the movie’s most redeemable factor because it keeps the overall suspenseful tone cohesive with what happens onscreen.
Overall
Leah and Pearl are not your typical love birds
MMISWD must be viewed with an open mind. The subject of Pearl and Leah’s lesbian relationship may turn some people away, but the connection and chemistry between Meade and George is spot on, which helps tremendously in some of the more awkward scenes. I have mixed feelings in general because the script lacks depth; MMISWD takes the Lifetime movie formula for melodrama and pushes our comfort zone. The cast makes the most of their performances with the material they are given. I particularly enjoyed the scenes Spelling and George have together, even though they look more like sisters rather than mother and daughter.
In the end, MMISWD is fun to watch if you don’t take it too seriously and like a good old-fashioned, vampire love story has plenty of bite.
Tune in to Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? Saturday, June 18 at 8:00pm ET/PT, only on Lifetime.
Find out more about the movie at its official website, http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/mother-may-i-sleep-with-danger.
Follow Lifetime and the cast of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? on Twitter: @lifetimetv, @leila_george, @theemilymeade, @JamesFrancoTV, @Tori_Spelling, and @ivansergei.
Like the network on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lifetime.
Photo credit: ©2016 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Connie Allen
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