Black Widow (2007 film)

Black Widow is a 2007 television film directed by Armand Mastroianni and starring Elizabeth Berkley, Alicia Coppola and Adriana DeMeo. Produced by RHI Entertainment, it is loosely based on the 1987 film of the same name starring Debra Winger and Theresa Russell.[1][2]

Black Widow
Promotional poster
Written byRiley Weston
Story byRiley Weston
Jeremy Bernstein
Directed byArmand Mastroianni
StarringElizabeth Berkley
Alicia Coppola
Adriana DeMeo
Randall Batinkoff
Barbara Niven
Tembi Locke
Joel Anderson
Brady Smith
David Ury
Music byZack Ryan
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersErik Heiberg
James Wilberger
CinematographyMark Mervis
EditorChristine Kelley
Running time89 minutes
Production companyLarry Levinson Productions
Original release
NetworkLifetime
Release2007 (2007)

Black Widow stars Elizabeth Berkley, Randall Batinkoff, and Adriana DeMeo.[3]

The film was originally released in 2007, before being re-cut and re-released in 2008 under the title Dark Beauty.[4]

Plot

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Olivia, a young, beautiful, brilliant, and effortlessly charming woman, works as a dedicated charity worker, responsible for establishing free clinics across the country for poor women. When she meets millionaire Danny Keegan, the pair soon form a relationship and he falls for her. However, it soon becomes clear that not everyone admires Olivia. Danny’s college friend, Melanie, a photo journalist for the Los Angeles Post, thinks that there is something suspicious about Olivia and soon wants to learn more about the mysterious woman.

With the help of her assistant, Finn, Melanie discovers the truth about Olivia, finding out that her Ph.D. is fake, that she is responsible for many acts of embezzlement, and that she has another lover on the side. Then she discovers Olivia’s numerous identities, the multiple marriages that have left her very rich, and the suspicious deaths of each of her husbands. Soon enough, Olivia realizes that Melanie is on to her and begins to take action against her. She will do anything to protect herself, even if it comes to murder.

In the end, after much difficulty, Melanie manages to expose Olivia as the evil woman she truly is to everyone, including Danny, and Olivia gets her well-earned comeuppance when the arriving police shoot her to death after Olivia mindlessly attempts to shoot them. Afterwards, Melanie successfully publishes Olivia's story for the Los Angeles Post, and she and Danny begin to start a friendship.

Cast

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Reception

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David Nusair, writing for Reel Film Reviews said that the film is, "Salacious enough to ensure that boredom never entirely sets in."[5]

References

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  1. ^ RHI :: Black Widow
  2. ^ "Black Widow (2007)". Radio Times. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  3. ^ "Elizabeth Berkley's Black Widow Has Legs". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  4. ^ Dark Beauty myLifetime.com Archived May 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Nusair, David. "BLACK WIDOW (DARK BEAUTY) REVIEWS". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
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